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OVERLAND 

THROUGH  ASIA. 


PICTURES  OF 

SIBERIAN,  CHINESE,  AND  TARTAR 
LIFE. 


TRAVELS  AND  ADVENTURES  IN  KAMCHATKA,  SIBERIA,  CHINA,  MONGOLIA, 
CHINESE    TARTART,   AND    EUROPEAN    RUSSIA,    WITH    FULL  AC- 
COUNTS OF  THE  SIBERIAN  EXILES,  THEIR  TREATMENT, 
CONDITION,  AND  MODE    OF    LIFE,    A  DESCRIP- 
TION    OF     THE    AMOOR    RIVER,  AND 
THE  SIBERIAN  SHORES  OF  THE 
FROZEN  OCEAN. 

WITH    JLTST    APPEOPRIATE  M^P», 

AND 

NEARLY  200  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BY 

THOMAS  W.  KNOX. 

AUTHOR  OF  "CAIMF  FIRE  J±ND  COTTON  FIELD." 


ISSUED  BT  SUBSCRIPTION  ONLY,  AND  NOT  FOR  SALE  IN  THE  BOOK  STORES.     RESIDENTS  OP  ANY  STATE 
DESIRING  A  COPY  SHOULD  ADDRESS  THE  PUBLISHERS,  AND  AN  AGENT  WILL  CALL  UPON  THEM. 

 <o>  

HARTFORD,  CONN: 
AMERICAN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

F.  G.  OILMAN  &  CO.,  CHICAGO,  ILLS.;  NETTLETON  &  CO.,  CINCINNATI,  OHIO. 

H,  H.  BANCROFT  &  CO.,  SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 
1870. 


Entered  according  to  act  af  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

THOMAS  W.  KNOX, 
in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


The  proper  steps  have  been  taken  to  secure  a  copyright  in  Great  Britain,  and 
all  infringements  will  be  prosecuted. 


The  right  of  translation  is  reserved. 


.WILLIAM  H.  LOCKWOOD, 
Electrotyper, 

BARTFOED,  CONS. 


PREFACE. 


Fourteen  years  ago  Major  Perry  McD.  Collins  traversed  North- 
ern Asia,  and  wrote  an  account  of  his  journey,  entitled  "  A  Voyage 
Down  the  Amoor."  With  the  exception  of  that  volume  no  other 
work  on  this  little  known  region  has  appeared  from  the  pen  of  an 
American  writer.  In  view  of  this  fact,  the  author  of  "Overland 
Through  Asia "  indulges  the  hope  that  his  book  will  not  be  consid- 
ered a  superfluous  addition  to  the  literature  of  his  country. 

The  journey  herein  recorded  was  undertaken  partly  as  a  pleasure 
trip,  partly  as  a  journalistic  enterprise,  and  partly  in  the  interest  of 
the  company  that  attempted  to  carry  out  the  plans  of  Major  Collins 
to  make  an  electric  connection  between  Europe  and  the  United  States 
by  way  of  Asia  and  Bering's  Straits.  In  the  service  of  the  Russo- 
American  Telegraph  Company,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  state  that 
the  author's  official  duties  were  so  few,  and  his  pleasures  so  numer- 
ous, as  to  leave  the  kindest  recollections  of  the  many  persons  con- 
nected with  the  enterprise. 

Portions  of  this  book  have  appeared  in  Harper's,  Putnam's,  The 
Atlantic,  The  Galaxy,  and  the  Overland  Monthlies,  and  in  Frank 
Leslie's  Illustrated  Newspaper.  They  have  been  received  with  such 
favor  as  to  encourage  their  reproduction  wherever  they  could  be  in- 
troduced in  the  narrative  of  the  journey.  The  largest  part  of  the 
book  has  been  written  from  a  carefully  recorded  journal,  and  is  now 
in  print  for  the  first  time.  The  illustrations  have  been  made  from 
photographs  and  pencil  sketches,  and  in  all  cases  great  care  has  been 
exercised  to  represent  correctly  the  costumes  of  the  country.  To 


Vi  PREFACE. 

Frederick  Whymper,  Esq.,  artist  of  the  Telegraph  Expedition,  and 
to  August  Hoffman,  (Photographer,)  of  Irkutsk,  Eastern  Siberia, 
the  author  is  specially  indebted. 

The  orthography  of  geographical  names  is  after  the  Russian  model. 
The  author  hopes  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  convince  his  countrymen 
that  the  shortest  form  of  spelling  is  the  best,  especially  when  it  rep- 
resents the  pronunciation  more  accurately  than  does  the  old  method. 
A  frontier  justice  once  remarked,  when  a  lawyer  ridiculed  his  way 
of  writing  ordinary  words,  that  a  man  was  not  properly  educated 
who  could  spell  a  word  in  only  one  way.  On  the  same  broad  prin- 
ciple I  will  not  quarrel  with  those  who  insist  upon  retaining  an  extra 
letter  in  Bering  and  Ohotsk  and  two  superfluous  letters  in  Kam- 
chatka. 

Among  those  not  mentioned  in  the  volume,  thanks  are  due  to 
Frederick  Macrellish,  Esq.,  of  San  Francisco,  Hon.  F.  F.  Low  of 
Sacramento,  Alfred  Whymper,  Esq.,  of  London,  and  the  many  gen- 
tlemen connected  with  the  Telegraph  Expedition.  There  are  dozens 
and  hundreds  of  individuals  in  Siberia  and  elsewhere,  of  all  grades 
and  conditions  in  life,  who  have  placed  me  under  numberless  obliga- 
tions. Wherever  I  traveled  the  most  uniform  courtesy  was  shown 
me,  and  though  conscious  that  few  of  those  dozens  and  hundreds  will 
ever  read  these  lines,  I  should  consider  myself  ungrateful  did  I  fail 
to  acknowledge  their  kindness  to  a  wandering  American. 

T.  W.  K. 

Astor  House,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  15, 1870. 


PAGE 

1.  Frontispiece,  The  Author  in  Siberian  Costume,   — 

2.  Character  Developed,   20 

3.  Aspinwall  to  Panama,   23 

4.  Slightly  Monotonous,   24 

5.  Montgomery  Street  in  Holiday  Dress,   25 

6.  San  Francisco,  1848,   26 

7.  Chinese  Dinner,   27 

8.  Over  Six  Feet,   31 

9.  Steamship  Wright  in  a  Storm,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   32 

10.  A  Sea  Sick  Booby,   33 

11.  Wreck  of  the  Ship  Canton,   34 

12  Aleutians  Catching  Whales,   37 

13.  Breach  of  Etiquette,   43 

14.  Unexpected  Honors,   45 

15.  Russian  Marriage,   47 

16.  Russian  Pope  at  Home,   50 

17.  A  Scaly  Bridge,   52 

18.  Russian  Tea  Service,   54 

19.  Change  for  a  Dollar,   56 

20.  Cow  and  Bear,   58 

21.  A  Kamchatka  Team,   60 

22.  Repulse  of  the  Assailants,   63 

23.  View  of  Sitka,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   68 

24.  Plenty  of  Time,   76 

25.  Russian  Officers  at  Mess,   77 

26.  Ascending  the  Bay   80 

27.  Taking  the  Census,   82 

28.  Light-House  at  Ghijiga,   83 

29.  Towed  by  Dogs,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   84 

30.  Koriak  Yourt,   87 

31.  Discharging  a  Deck  Load,   90 

32.  Reindeer  Ride,   91 

33.  Tail  Piece,  Reindeer,   94 


Viii  LIST    OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

34.  Wagon  Ride  with  Dogs,   98 

35.  Yearly  Mail,   100 

36.  Dogs  Fishing,   101 

37.  Teachings  op  Experience,   107 

58  BoaT  Load  of  Salmon,   115 

39  An  Effective  Protest,   116 

40  Nothing  but  Bones,   120 

41.  Tail  Piece— Native  Woman,   123 

42.  Seeing  Off,   125 

43.  Life  on  the  Amoor,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   129 

44.  A  Gilyak  Village,   131 

45.  About  Full,   133 

46.  Tail  Piece— A  Turn  Out,   134 

47.  On  the  Amoor,   137 

48.  Cash  Account   139 

49  Wooding  Up   140 

50.  Bear  in  Procession,   144 

51  Practice  of  Medicine,   146 

52.  Manjour  Merchant,   149 

63.  Gilyak  Man   151 

54.  Gilyak  Woman,   152 

55.  Peasants  by  Moonlight,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   153 

56.  Tail  Piece— The  Net,  t   157 

57.  Ten  Miles  an  Hour,   160 

58.  Goldee  House  at  Night,  (Full  Page,;  face  page,   162 

59.  The  Hypocondriac,   163 

60.  •'  Not  for  Joe,"   167 

61.  Tail  Piece— Scene  on  the  River,   169 

62.  Reception  at  Petrovsky     172 

63.  Armed  and  Equipped,   176 

64.  General  Activity,   182 

65.  Tail  Piece— Flask,   183 

66.  Manjour  Boat,   188 

67.  A  Private  Temple,   196 

68.  Fishing  Implements,   199 

69.  Chinese  Family  Picture,   205 

70.  Manjour  Traveling  Carriage,   211 

71.  Tall  Piece — Towards  the  Sun,   216 

72.  The  Ammunition  Wagon,   213 

73.  Finishing  Touch,   223 

74.  Emigrants  on  the  Amoor^   229 

75.  Sa-Ga-Yan  Cliff,  _   233 

76.  Rifle  Shooting,   236 

77.  Tail  Piece— Game   239 

78.  Preparing  for  Winter,  247 

79.  Tail  Piece,   249 

80.  Stratensk,  Eastern  Siberia,   252 

81.  A  Siberian  Tarantass,   258 

82.  Tail  Piece,   261 

83.  Favorite  Bed   269 

84.  Concentrated  Energies   273 

85.  Prisoners  at  Chetah,   276 

86.  On  the  Hills  near  Chetah   279 

87.  Bouriat  Yourts,   286 

88.  A  Mongol  Bell,   288 

89.  A  Mongol  Belle,   289 

90.  Catching  Sheep,  ,   290 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS.  ix 

PA3E 

91.  A  Cold  Bath,   291 

92.  Tail  Piece,   295 

93.  Our  Ferry  Boat,   297 

94.  Equal  Rights,   300 

95.  Amateur  Concert  in  Siberia,   304 

96.  Chinese  Mandarin,   307 

97.  Interior  of  Chinese  Temple,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   310 

93.  Through  Ordinary  Eyes,   314 

99.  Through  Chinese  Eyes,  314 

100.  Legal  Tender  319 

101.  Russian  Pets,   321 

102.  Pony  Express,   322 

103-  A  Disagreeable  Appendage,   323 

104.  Suspended  Freedom,   323 

105.  punishment  for  burglary,   324 

106.  Chopstick,  Fork,  and  Saucer,  325 

107.  Chinese  Theatre,   326 

108.  Chinese  Tiger,  327 

109.  Chinese  Punishment,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   332 

110.  Provision  Dealer,  ,   337 

111.  Chinese  Mendicants,       339 

112  The  Favorite,   341 

113  Female  Feet  and  Shoe,  342 

114.  A  Lottery  Prize,   343 

115  A  Pekin  Cab,   345 

116.  A  Chinese  Palanquin     345 

117.  Priest  in  Temple  of  Confucius   346 

118  Comforts  and  Conveniences,   349 

119.  Filial  Attention,   349 

120.  Tail  Piece— Opium  Pipe,   350 

121.  A  Musical  Stop,...    352 

122.  Nankovt  Pass,  (Full  Page.)  face  page,   354 

123.  Racing  at  the  Kalgan  Fair,     ............  357 

124.  Streets  in  Kalgan,   358 

125.  In  Good  Condition,  359 

126.  Lost  in  the  Desert  of  Gobi,   363 

127.  Mongol  Dinner  Table,   366 

128.  Crossing  the  Tolla.  (Full  Page,)  face  page,  367 

129.  The  Schoolmaster.    370 

130.  Tail  Piece,   371 

131 .  W  ild  Boar  Hunt,  ,  :   375 

132.  A  Wife  at  Irkutsk   376 

133.  No  Wife  at  Irkutsk,   376 

134.  A  Soudna,   378 

135.  After  the  Earthquake,   380 

136.  Lake  Baikal  in  Winter,  (Full  Page,)  face  page  381 

137.  A  Specimen,   3S4 

138.  Tail  Piece— The  World,  ,   385 

139.  Gov.  General  Korsackoff,   387 

140.  View— Irkutsk,   390 

141.  A  Cold  Attachment,   394 

142.  Queen  of  Greece,   397 

143.  Emperor  of  Russia,   400 

144.  Tail  Piece— Twin  Bottles,  405 

145.  Home  of  two  Exiles— Real,  Imaginary,   409 

146.  Tail  Piece— Quarters,   418 

147  Tartar  Cavalry,   422 


X  LIST    OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

148.  Siberian  Exiles,  (Full  Page,)  pace  page  ,   430 

149  Tail  Piece,  ,   435 

150.  A  Vashok,   439 

151.  A  Kibitka,   440 

152.  Farewell  to  Irkutsk,   443 

153.  Our  Conductor,   454 

154.  Jumping  Cradle  Holes,   456 

155.  Valley  of  the  Yenesei,   462 

156.  Wolf  Hunt,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   466 

157.  Hydraulic  Mining,   472 

158.  Tail  Piece,   477 

159.  Down  Hill,   483 

160.  Dogs  Among  Ice,   489 

161.  Jumping  the  Fissures,   492 

162.  The  Team,   494 

163.  Tail  Piece,   508 

164.  In  the  mine,   516 

165.  Strange  Coincidence,   518 

166.  Tail  Piece,    519 

167.  The  Elopement,   527 

168.  The  Fight,   528 

169.  The  Catastrophe,   529 

170.  Tail  Piece,   530 

171.  The  Polkedovate,   535 

172.  Making  Explanation,   536 

173  After  the  Bath,   533 

174.  Tail  Piece,   540 

175.  The  Driver's  Toilet,   544 

176.  Women  Spinning,   545 

177.  Flogging  with  Sticks,   547 

178.  Tail  Piece,   551 

179.  Lost  in  a  Snow  Storm,   553 

180.  Fatal  Result   559 

181.  Tail  Piece,   561 

182.  Excuse  my  Familiarity,   563 

183.  Frosted  Horses,  .   564 

184.  View  of  Ekaterineburg,  (Full  Page,)  face  page,   568 

185.  Europe  and  Asia,   574 

186  A  Russian  Beggar,   575 

187.  Beggars  in  Kazan,   594 

188.  The  Immersion,   595 

189.  Russian  Priest,   598 

190.  Tail  Piece,   601 

191.  Great  Bell  of  Moscow   605 

192.  View  On  the  Nevski  Prospect,  St.  Petersburg,  (Full  Page,)  to  face   607 

193.  Tail  Piece— Meeilnq  an  Old  Friend,   608 


CHAPTER  L 

PAGE. 

Off  from  New  York — Around  the  world  by  steam — Value  of  a  letter  of 
credit — A  cure  for  sea  sickness — Doing  the  Isthmus — An  exciting  por- 
poise race — Glimpse  of  San  Francisco — Trip  to  the  Yo  Semite  Valley 
— From  the  Golden  Gate  into  the  Pacific   19 

CHAPTER  n. 

A  strange  company — Difficulties  of  sea  life — A  tall  man  and  a  short  room 
— How  the  dog  went  to  sleep — A  soapy  cabin — Catching  a  booby — Two 
Sundays  together — A  long  lost  wreck — Incidents  at  sea — Manner  of 
catching  whales  in  Alaska — A  four  footed  pilot — Dog  stories — How  to 
take  an  observation — Coast  of  Asia — Entering  Avatcha  bay — An  eco- 
nomical light  keeper   30 

CHAPTER  III. 

In  a  Russian  port — Hail  Columbia — Petropavlovsk — Volcanoes  and  earth- 
quakes— Directions  for  making  a  Russian  town — A  Kamchadale  wed- 
ding— Standing  up  with  the  bride — A  hot  ceremony — A  much  married 
pope — Russian  religious  practices — Drinking  with  the  priest  and  what 
came  of  it  .   41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Vegetation  in  Kamchatka — Catching  salmon — A  scaly  bridge — An  evening 
on  shore — Samovars  and  tea  drinking — The  fur  trade — Bear  hunting — 
What  a  cow  brought  home  one  day — Siberian  dogs — A  musical  town 
— The  adventures  of  Norcum — Training  a  team — Sledges  and  how  to 
manage  them — A  voyage  under  the  Polish  flag — Monument  to  Captain 
Clerke — The  allied  attack — The  battle  of  Petropavlovsk   51 

CHAPTER  V. 

Bering's  voyages — Discovery  of  Alaska — Shipwreck  and  death  of  Bering — 
The  Russian-American  Company — The  first  governor  of  Alaska — 
Promushleniks — Russian  settlement  in  California — Account  of  Russian 
explorations — Character  of  the  country — Its  extent  and  resources — Ad- 
vantages and  disadvantages  of  the  Alaska  purchase   64 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Leaving  Kamchatka — Farewell  to  the  ladies — A  new  kind  of  telegraph — 
Entering  the  Ohotsk  sea — From  steam  to  sail — Sleeping  among  chro- 
nometers— Talking  by  signs — A  burial  at  sea — A  Russian  funeral — 
Land  in  sight — Ghijiga  bay   71 


xii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII.  PAGE. 
Baggage  for  shore  travel — Much  wine  and  little  bread — A  perplexing  di- 
lemma— How  to  take  the  census — Siberian  beds — Towed  by  dogs — En- 
counter with  a  beast — Coaxing  a  team  with  clubs — The  Koriaks — Their 
manners  and  customs — Comical  cap  for  a  native — A  four  footed  cur- 
rency— Yourts  and  Balagans — Curious  marriage  ceremony — Lightening 
a  boat  in  a  storm — Very  strong  whisky — Riding  on  a  reindeer — An  in- 
toxicating mushroom — An  electric  devil — a  Siberian  snow  storm — How 
a  party  was  lost   79 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
How  a  pointer  became  a  bull  dog — Coral  in  high  latitudes — Sending  Cham- 
pagne to  Neptune — Arrival  at  Ohotsk — Three  kinds  of  natives — A 
lunch  with  the  ladies — A  native  entertainment — A  mail  once  a  year — 
A  lover's  misfortune — An  astonished  American — Hunting  a  bear  and 
being  hunted — An  unfortunate  ride   95 

CHAPTER  IX. 

At  sea  again — Beauties  of  a  Northern  sky — Warlike  news  and  preparing 
for  war — The  coast  of  Japan — An  exciting  moment — A  fog  bell  of  sea 
lions — Ready  for  fight — De  Castries'  bay — A  bewildered  fleet — Good- 
bye to  the  Variag — In  the  straits  of  Tartary — A  difficult  sleeping  place 
— A  Siberian  mirage — Entering  the  Amoor  river   102 

CHAPTER  X. 

On  shore  at  Nicolayevsk — An  American  Consul — Visiting  the  Governor — 
Machine  shops  on  the  Amoor  with  American  managers — The  servant 
girl  question — A  Gilyak  boat  full  of  salmon — An  unfortunate  water 
carrier — The  Amoor  Company — Foreign  and  native  merchants — Rais- 
ing sheep  among  tigers — Rats  eating  window  glass — Riding  in  a  cart...  110 

CHAPTER  XL 

Up  the  Amoor — Seeing  off  a  friend — A  Siberian  steamboat — How  the  steam- 
boats are  managed — Packages  by  post — Curiosities  of  the  Russian  mail 
service — An  unhappy  bride — Hay  barges — Gilyak  villages — Visiting  a 
village — Bad  for  the  nose — Native  dogs — Interviewing  a  Gilyak  lady — 
A  rapid  descent   124 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  monastery  of  Eternal  Repose — Curious  religious  customs — Features 
of  the  scenery — Passengers  ou  our  boat — An  adventurous  merchant — 
Captured  by  the  Chinese — A  pretty  girl  and  her  fellow  passenger — 
Wooding  up — An  Amoor  town — The  telegraph — How  it  is  built  and 
operated — A  native  school — Fighting  the  tiger — Religious  practices  of 
the  Gilyaks — Mistaken  kindness   135 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Stepanoff  and  his  career — A  Manjour  boat — Catching  salmon — A  sturgeon 
pen — The  islands  of  the  Amoor — A  night  scene  at  a  wooding  station — 
A  natural  cathedral — The  birds  of  the  Amoor — The  natives  of  the 
country — Interviewing  a  native  Mandarin   148 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Entering  a  Goldee  house — Native  politeness — What  to  do  with  a  tame  eagle 
— An  intelligent  dog  team — An  exciting  race — A  Mongol  belle — Visit- 
ing a  Goldee  house  at  night — A  reception  in  a  shirt — Fish  skin  over- 
coats— Curious  medical  custom — Draw  poker  on  the  Amoor  river — 
Curiosity — Habarof ka — "  No  turkey  for  me  " — A  visit  on  shore — Ex- 
perience witl^fleas   158 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 


CHAPTER  XV.  PAGE. 
First  view  of  China — A  beautiful  region — Petrovsky — "Women  in  the  water 
— An  impolite  reception — A  scanty  population — Visiting  a  military 
post — Division  of  labor  for  a  hunting  excursion — The  Songaree — A 
Chinese  military  station — Resources  of  the  Songaree — Experience  of  a 
traveler — Hunting  a  tiger — A  perilous  adventure   170 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Ekaterin — Nikolskoi — The  Province  of  the  Amoor — Character  of  the  Cos- 
sack— The  Buryea  Mountains — A  man  overboard — Passing  a  mountain 
chain — Manjour  boats — Bringing  pigs  to  market — Women  in  the  open 
air — A  new  tribe  of  natives — Rest  for  a  bath — Russian  cavair — How  it 
is  made — Feeding  with  a  native — A  heavy  drink — A  fleet  of  fishing 
boats   184 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Scenery  on  the  middle  Amoor — A  military  colony — Among  the  Manjours 
— A  Manjour  temple — A  Chinese  naval  station — A  crew  of  women — 
Strange  ways  of  catching  fish — The  city  of  Igoon — Houses  plastered 
with  mud — Visiting  a  harem — Talking  pigeon-Chinese — Visiting  the 
prison   194 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  mouth  of  the  Zeya — Blagoveshchensk — Kind  reception  by  the  govern- 
or— Attending  a  funeral — A  polyglot  doctor  and  his  family — Intercourse 
with  the  Chinese — A  visit  to  Sakhalin-Oula — A  government  office — A 
Chinese  traveling  carriage — Visiting  a  Manjour  governor — A  polite  of- 
ficial— A  Russian  Mongol  reception — Curiosities  of  the  Chinese  police 
system — Advice  to  the  Emperor  of  China   206 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  deer-hunting  pic-nic — Russian  ploughing — Nursing  a  deer  gazelle — A 
shot  and  what  came  of  it — The  return  and  overturn — The  Siberian  ga- 
zelle— A  Russian  steam  bath — How  to  take  it — On  a  new  steamer — 
The  cabin  of  the  Korsackoff — A  horse  opera — An  intoxicated  priest — 
Private  stock  of  provisions — The  dove  a  sacred  bird — Emigrant  rafts 
— A  Celestial  guard  house   217 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  upper  Amoor — Sagayan  cliff— Hunting  for  gold — Rich  gold  mines  in 
the  Amoor  valley — T'he  Tungusians — A  goose  for  a  cigar — An  awk- 
ward rifle — Albazin — The  people  in  Sunday  dress — The  siege  of  Alba- 
zin — Visiting  the  old  fort   232 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  sudden  change — Beef  preserved  with  laurel  leaves — A  Russian  settler — 
New  York  pictures  in  a  Russian  house — The  Flowery  Kingdom — Early 
explorations — The  conquest  of  the  Amoor — A  rapid  expedition — The 
Shilka  and  the  Argoon — An  old  settled  country — A  lady  in  the  case — 
Hotels  for  the  exiles — Stratensk — A  large  crowd — End  of  a  long  steam- 
boat ride   240 

CHAPTER  XXn. 
A  hotel  at  Stratensk — A  romantic  courtship — Starting  overland — A  diffi- 
cult ferry — A  Russian  posting  carriage — Good  substitute  for  a  trunk — 
"Road  Agent"  in  Siberia — Rights  of  travelers — Kissing  goes  by  favor 
— Captain  John  Franklin's  equipage — Value  of  a  ball — Stuck  in  the 
mud — The  valley  of  the  Nertcha — Reaching  Nerchinsk   256 


xiv 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIII.  page. 
An  extensive  house — A  Russian  gold  miner — Stories  of  the  exiles — Polish 
exiles — "  The  unfortunates  " — The  treatment  of  prisoners — Attempts 
to  escape — Buying  a  tarantass — Light  marching  order — A  bad  road — 
Sleeping  on  a  stove — The  valley  of  the  Ingodah — Two  hours  in  a  mud 
hole — Recklessness  of  drivers — Arrival  at  Chetah   262 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Location  of  Chetah — Prisoners  in  chains — Ingenuity  of  the  exiles — Learn- 
ing Hail  Columbia  in  two  hours — A  governor's  mansion — A  hunting 
party — Siberian  rabbits — Difficulties  of  matrimony — Religion  in  Si- 
beria— An  artillery  review — Champagne  and  farewells — Crossing  a 
frozen  stream — Inconvenience  of  traveling  with  a  dog — Crossing  the 
Yablonoi  Mountains — Approaching  the  Arctic  Ocean   275 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
A  cold  night — Traveling  among  the  Mongols — The  Bouriats  and  their 
dwellings — An  unpleasant  fire — The  Bhuddist  religion — Conversions 
among  the  natives — An  easy  way  of  catching  sheep — A  Mongol  bell — 
A  Mongol  belle — A  late  hour  and  a  big  dog — Bullocks  under  saddle — 
An  enterprising  girl — Sleeping  in  a  carriage — Arrival  at  Verkne  Udinsk 
— Walking  in  the  market  place — Stories  of  Siberian  robbers — An  enter- 
prising murderer — Gold  and  iron  mines  on  the  Selenga   285 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Crossing  a  river  on  the  ice — A  dangerous  situation — Dining  on  soup  and 
caviar — Caravans  of  tea — The  rights  of  the  road — How  the  drivers 
treat  each  other — Selenginsk — An  old  exile — Troubled  by  the  nose — 
Lodged  by  the  police — A  housekeeper  in  undress — An  amateur  concert 
— Troitskosavsk  and  Kiachta — Crossing  the  frontier — Visiting  the  Chi- 
nese governor   296 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
In  the  Chinese  empire — A  city  without  a  woman — A  Chinese  court  of  jus- 
tice— Five  interpretations — Chinese  and  Russian  methods  of  tea  mak- 
ing— A  Chinese  temple — Sculpture  in  sand  stone — The  gods  and  the 
Celestials — The  Chinese  idea  of  beauty — The  houses  in  Maimaichin — 
Chinese  dogs — Bartering  with  the  merchants— The  Chinese  ideas  of 
honesty — How  they  entertained  us — The  Abacus   306 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Russian  feast  days — A  curious  dinner  custom — Novel  separation  of  the 
sexes — The  wealth  of  Kiachta — The  extent  of  the  tea  trade — Dodging 
the  custom  house — Foreign  residents  of  Kiachta — Fifteen  dogs  in  one 
family — The  devil  and  the  telegraph — Russian  gambling — Dinner  with 
the  Chinese  governor — Chinese  punishments — Ingredients  of  a  Chinese 
dinner — Going  to  the  theatre  in  midday — Two  dinners  in  one  day — 
Farewell  to  Kiachta   316 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Trade  between  America  and  China — The  first  ship  for  a  Chinese  port — 
Chinese  river  system — The  first  steamboat  on  a  Chinese  river — The 
Celestials  astonished — A  nation  of  shop-keepers — Chinese  insurance 
and  banking  systems — The  first  letters  of  credit — Railways  in  the  em- 
pire— The  telegraph  in  China — Pigeon-English — The  Chinese  treaty. .  329 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


CHAPTER  XXX.  PAGE. 
The  great  cities  of  China — Pekin  and  its  interesting  features — The  Chinese 
city  and  the  Tartar  one — Rat  peddlers,  jugglers,  beggars,  and  other 
liberal  professionals — The  rat  question  in  China — Tricks  of  the  jug- 
glers— Mendicants  and  dwarfs — "  The  house  of  the  hen's  feathers  " — 
How  small  feet  became  fashionable — Fashion  in  America  and  China — 
Gambling  in  Pekin — An  interesting  lottery  prize — Executions  by  lot — 
Punishing  robbers — Opposition  to  dancing — The  temple  of  Confucius 
— Temples  of  Heaven  and  Earth — The  famous  Summer  Palace — Chi- 
nese cemeteries — Coffins  as  household  ornaments — Calmness  at  death. .  336 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
A  journey  through  Mongolia — Chinese  dislike  to  foreign  travel — Leaving 
Pekin — How  to  stop  a  mule's  music — The  Nankow  Pass — A  fort  cap- 
tured because  of  a  woman — The  great  wall  of  China — Loading  the 
pack  mules — Kalgan — Mosques  and  Pagodas — A  Mongol  horse  fair — 
How  a  transaction  is  managed — A  camel  journey  on  the  desert — How 
to  arrange  his  load — A  Mongolian  cart — A  brisk  trade  in  wood  for 
coffins   351 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Entering  the  desert  of  Gobi — Instincts  of  the  natives — An  antelope  hunt — 
Lost  on  the  desert — Discovered  and  rescued— Character  of  the  Mongols 
— Boiled  mutton,  and  how  to  eat  it — Fording  the  Tolla  river — An  ex- 
citing passage — Arrival  at  Urga — A  Mongol  Lamissary — The  victory 
of  Genghis  Khan — Chinese  couriers — Sheep  raising  in  Mongolia — Holy 
men  in  abundance — Inconvenience  of  being  a  lama — A  praying  machine 
— Arrival  at  Kiachta  361 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Departure  from  Kiachta — An  agreeable  companion — Making  ourselves  com- 
fortable— A  sacred  village — Hunting  a  wild  boar — A  Russian  monas- 
tery— Approaching  Lake  Baikal — Hunting  for  letters — "  Doing  "  Po- 
solsky — A  pile  of  merchandise — A  crowded  house — Rifle  and  pistol 
practice — A  Russian  soudna — A  historic  building — A  lake  steamer  in 
Siberia — Exiles  on  shore — A  curious  lake — Wonderful  journey  over 
the  ice — The  Holy  Sea — A  curious  group — The  first  custom  house — 
Along  the  banks  of  the  Angara — A  strange  fish — Arrival  at  Irkutsk. .  372 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Turned  over  to  the  police — Visiting  the  Governor  General — An  agreeable 
officer  in  a  fine  house — Paying  official  visits — German  in  pantomime — 
The  passport  system — Cold  weather — Streets,  stores,  and  houses  at  Ir- 
kutsk— Description  of  the  city — The  Angara  river — A  novel  regulation 
— A  swinging  ferry  boat — Cossack  policeman — An  alarm  of  fire — 
"  Running  with  the  machine  "  in  Russia — Markets  at  Irkutsk — Effects 
of  kissing  with  a  low  thermometer  ,  386 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
Society  in  Irkutsk — Social  customs — Lingual  powers  of  the  Russians — Ef- 
fect of  speaking  two  languages  to  an  infant — Intercourse  of  the  Siberi- 
ans with  Polish  exiles — A  hospitable  people — A  ceremonious  dinner — 
Russian  precision — A  long  speech  and  a  short  translation — The  Amoor- 
ski  Gastinitza — Playing  billiards  at  a  disadvantage — Muscovite  super- 
stition— Open  house  and  pleasant  tea-parties — A  wealthy  gold  miner.. .  396 


xvi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI.  pagb. 
The  exiles  of  1825 — The  Emperor  Paul  and  his  eccentricities — Alexander 
I. — The  revolution  of  1825— Its  result — Severity  of  Nicholas — Hard 
labor  for  life — Conditions  of  banishment — A  pardon  after  thirty  years 
— Where  the  Decembrists  live — The  Polish  question — Both  sides  of  it 
— Banishments  since  1863 — The  government  policy — Difference  between 
political  and  criminal  exiles — Colonists — Drafted  into  the  army — Pen- 
sion from  friends — Attempts  to  escape — Restrictions  and  social  comforts 
— How  the  prisoners  travel — The  object  of  deportation — Rules  for  ex- 
iling serfs  406 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
Serfdom  and  exile — Peter  I.  and  Alexander  II. — Example  of  Siberia  to  old 
Russia — Prisoners  in  the  mines — A  revolt— The  trial  of  the  insurgents 
— Sentence  and  execution — A  remarkable  escape — Piotrowski's  narra- 
tive— Free  after  four  years   419 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Preparing  to  leave  Irkutsk — Change  from  wheels  to  runners — Buying  a  suit 
of  fur — Negotiations  for  a  sleigh — A  great  many  drinks — Peculiarities 
of  Russian  merchants — Similarities  of  Russians  and  Chinese — Several 
kinds  of  sleighs — A  Siberian  saint — A  farewell  dinner — Packing  a  sleigh 
— A  companion  with  heavy  baggage — Farewell  courtesies — Several 
parting  drinks — Traveling  through  a  frost  cloud — Effect  of  fog  in  a 
cold  night — A  monotonous  snow  scape — Meals  at  the  stations — A  jolly 
party — An  honest  population — Diplomacy  with  the  drivers   436 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
A  Siberian  beverage — The  wine  of  the  country — An  unhappy  pig — Tea 
caravans  for  Moscow — Intelligence  of  a  horse — Champagne  frappe — 
Meeting  the  post — How  the  mail  is  carried — A  lively  shaking  up — 
Board  of  survey  on  a  dead  horse — Sleeping  rooms  in  peasant  houses — 
Kansk — A  road  with  no  snow — Putting  our  sleighs  on  wheels — A  de- 
ceived Englishman — Crossing  the  Yenesei — Krasnoyarsk — Washing 
clothes  in  winter — A  Siberian  banking  house — The  telegraph  system — 
No  dead-heads — Fish  from  the  Yenesei — A  Siberian  Neptune — Going 
on  a  wolf  hunt — How  a  hunt  is  managed — An  exciting  chase  and  a 
narrow  escape   451 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Beggars  at  Krasnoyarsk — A  wealthy  city — Gold  mining  on  the  Yenesei — 
Its  extent  and  the  value  of  the  mines — How  the  mining  is  conducted — 
Explorations,  surveys,  and  the  preparation  of  the  ground— Wages  and 
treatment  of  laborers — Machines  for  gold  washing — Regulations  to  pre- 
vent thefts — Mining  in  frozen  earth — Antiquity  of  the  mines — The  na- 
tive population — An  Eastern  legend — The  adventures  of  "  Swan's 
Wing" — Visit  to  lower  regions — Moral  of  the  story   467 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

A  philosophic  companion — Traveling  with  the  remains  of  a  mammoth — 
Talking  against  time — Sleighs  on  wheels — The  advantages  of  "  cheek" 
— A  moonlight  transfer — Keeping  the  feast  days — Getting  drunk  as  a 
religious  duty — A  slight  smash  up — A  cold  night — An  abominable  road 
— Hunting  a  mammoth — Journey  to  the  Arctic  Circle — Natives  on  the 
coast — A  mammoth's  hide  and  hair— Ivory  hunting  in  the  frozen  North 
— A  perilous  adventure — Cast  away  in  the  Arctic  ocean — Fight  with  a 
polar  bear — A  dangerous  situation — Frozen  to  the  ice — Reaching  the 
shore   478 


CONTENTS. 


xvii 


CHAPTER  XLII.  pagb. 
A  runaway  horse — Discussion  with  a  driver — A  modest  breakfast — A  con- 
voy of  exiles — Hotels  for  the  exiles — Charity  to  the  unfortunate — Their 
rate  of  travel — An  encounter  at  night — No  whips  in  the  land  of  horses 
— Russian  drivers  and  their  horses — Niagara  in  Siberia — Eggs  by  the 
dizaine — Caught  in  a  storm — A  beautiful  night — Arrival  at  Tomsk — 
An  obliging  landlord — A  crammed  sleigh — Visiting  the  governor — 
Description  of  Tomsk — A  steamboat  line  to  Tumen — Schools  in  Si- 
beria  495 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 
A  frozen  river — On  the  road  to  Barnaool — An  unpleasant  night — Posts  at 
the  road  side — Very  high  wind — A  Russian  bouran — A  poor  hotel — 
Greeted  with  American  music — The  gold  mines  of  the  Altai  mountains 
— Survey  of  the  mining  district — General  management  of  the  business 
— The  museum  at  Barnaool — The  imperial  zavod — Reducing  the  ores 
— Government  tax  on  mines — A  strange  coincidence   509 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
Society  at  Barnaool — A  native  coachman — An  Asiatic  eagle — The  Kirghese 
— The  original  Tartars — Russian  diplomacy  among  the  natives — Ad- 
vance of  civilization — Railway  building  in  Central  Asia — Product  of 
the  Kirghese  country — Fairs  in  Siberia — Caravans  from  Bokhara — An 
adventure  among  the  natives — Capture  of  a  native  prince — A  love  story 
and  an  elopement — A  pursuit,  fight,  and  tragic  end  of  the  journey. . . .  520 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
Interview  with  a  Persian  officer — A  slow  conversation — Seven  years  of  cap- 
tivity— A  scientific  explorer — Relics  of  past  ages — An  Asiatic  dinner 
— Cossack  dances — Tossed  up  as  a  mark  of  honor — Trotting  horses  in 
Siberia — Washing  a  paper  collar — On  the  Baraba  steppe — A  long  ride 
— A  walking  ice  statue — Traveling  by  private  teams — Excitement  of  a 
race — How  to  secure  honesty  in  a  public  solicitor — Prescription  for 
rheumatism   531 


CHAPTER  XLVL 
A  monotonous  country — Advantages  of  winter  travel — Fertility  of  the 
steppe — Rules  for  the  haying  season — Breakfasting  on  nothing — A  Si- 
berian apple — Delays  in  changing  horses — Universal  tea  drinking — 
Tartars  on  the  steppe — Siberian  villages — Mode  of  spinning  in  Russia 
— An  unsuccessful  conspiracy — How  a  revolt  was  organized — A  con- 
spirator flogged  to  death — The  city  of  Tobolsk — The  story  of  Elizabeth 
— The  conquest  of  Siberia — Yermak  and  his  career   541 

CHAPTER  XLVIL 
Another  snow  storm — Wolves  in  sight — Unwelcome  visitors — Going  on  a 
wolf  chase — An  unlucky  pig — Hunting  at  night — A  hungry  pack — 
Wolves  in  every  direction — The  pursuers  and  the  pursued — A  danger- 
ous turn  in  the  road — A  driver  lost  and  devoured — A  narrow  escape — 
Forest  guards  against  bears  and  wolves — A  courageous  horse— The 
story  of  David  Crockett   552 

CHAPTER  XLVIII 
Thermometer  very  low — Inconvenience  of  a  long  beard — Fur  clothing  in 
abundance — Natural  thermometers — Rubbing  a  freezing  nose — A  beau- 
tiful night  on  the  steppe — Siberian  twilights — Thick  coat  for  horses — 
The  city  of  Tumen — Magnificent  distances — Manufacture  of  carpets — 
A  lucrative  monopoly — Arrival  at  Ekaterineburg — Christmas  festivities 


XY111 


CONTEXTS. 


— Manufactures  at  Ekaterineburg — The  Granilnoi  Fabric — Russian 
iron  and  where  it  comes  from — The  Demidoff  family — A  large  piece  of 
malachite — An  emperor  as  an  honest  miner   562 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
Among  the  stone  workers — A  bewildering  collection — Visit  to  a  private 
"  Fabric'' — The  mode  of  stone  cutting — Crossing  the  mountains — 
Boundary  between  Europe  and  Asia — Standing  in  two  continents  at 
once — Entering  Europe  by  the  back  door — In  the  valley  of  the  Kama 
— Touching  appeal  by  a  beggar — The  great  fair  at  Irbit — An  improved 
road — A  city  of  thieves — Tanning  in  Russia — Evidence  of  European 
civilization — Perm — Pleasures  of  sleigh  riding — The  road  fever — The 
Emperor  Nicholas  and  a  courier — A  Russian  sleighing  song   571 

CHAPTER  L. 

Among  the  Yotiaks — Malmouish — Advice  to  a  traveler — Dress  and  habits 
of  the  Tartars — Tartar  villages  and  mosques — A  long  night — Over- 
turned and  stopped — Arrival  at  Kazan — New  Year's  festivities — Russian 
soldiers  on  parade — Military  spirit  of  the  Romanoff  family — Anecdote 
of  the  Grand  Duke  Michel — The  conquest  of  Kazan — An  evening  in  a 
ball-room — Enterprise  of  Tartar  peddlers — Manufactures  and  schools 
— A  police  secret — The  police  in  Russia   58 

CHAPTER  LI. 

Leaving  Kazan — A  Russian  companion — Conversation  with  a  phrase  book 
— A  sloshy  street — Steamboats  frozen  in  the  ice — Navigation  of  the 
Volga — The  Cheramess — Pity  the  unfortunate — A  road  on  the  ice — 
Merchandise  going  Westward — Villages  along  the  Volga — A  baptism 
through  the  ice — Religion  in  Russia — Toleration  and  tyranny — The 
Catholics  in  Poland — The  Old  Believers — The  Skoptsi,  or  mutilators — 
Devotional  character  of  the  Russian  peasantry — Diminishing  the  priest- 
ly power — Church  and  state — End  of  a  long  sleigh  ride — Nijne  Novgo- 
rod— At  the  wrong  hotel — Historical  monuments — Entertained  by  the 
police   591 

CHAPTER  LII. 

Starting  for  Moscow — Jackdaws  and  pigeons — At  a  Russian  railway  station 
— The  group  in  waiting — The  luxurious  ride — A  French  governess  and 
a  box  of  bon-bons — Cigarettes  and  tea — Halting  at  Vladimir — Moscow 
through  the  frost — Trakteers — The  Kremlin  of  Moscow — Objects  of 
interest — The  great  bell — The  memorial  cannon — Treasures  of  the 
Kremlin — Wonderful  churches  of  Moscow — The  Kitai  Gorod — The 
public  market — Imperial  Theatre  and  Foundling  Hospital — By  rail  to 
St.  Petersburg — Encountering  an  old  friend   602 


CHAPTER  L 


IT  is  said  that  an  old  sailor  looking  at  the  first  ocean 
steamer,  exclaimed,  "  There's  an  end  to  seamanship." 
More  correctly  he  might  have  predicted  the  end  of  the  ro- 
mance of  ocean  travel.  Steam  abridges  time  and  space  to 
such  a  degree  that  the  world  grows  rapidly  prosaic.  Coun- 
tries once  distant  and  little  known  are  at  this  day  near  and 
familiar.  Railways  on  land  and  steamships  on  the  ocean, 
will  transport  us,  at  frequent  and  regular  intervals,  around 
the  entire  globe.  From  New  York  to  San  Francisco  and 
thence  to  our.  antipodes  in  Japan  and  China,  one  may  travel 
in  defiance  of  propitious  breezes  formerly  so  essential  to  an 
ocean  voyage.  The  same  untiring  power  that  bears  us  thither 
will  bring  us  home  again  by  way  of  Suez  and  Gibraltar  to 
any  desired  port  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Scarcely  more  than 
a  hundred  days  will  be  required  for  such  a  voyage,  a  dozen 
changes  of  conveyance  and  a  land  travel  of  less  than  a  single 
week. 

The  tour  of  the  world  thus  performed  might  be  found  mo- 
notonous. Its  most  salient  features  beyond  the  overland 
journey  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  would  be  the  study 
of  the  ocean  in  breeze  or  gale  or  storm,  a  knowledge  of 
steamship  life,  and  a  revelation  of  the  peculiarities  of  men  and 
women  when  cribbed,  cabined,  and  confined  in  a  floating 
prison.  Next  to  matrimony  there  is  nothing  better  than  a 
few  months  at  sea  for  developing  the  realities  of  human  char- 
acter in  either  sex.  I  have  sometimes  fancied  that  the  Greek 
temple  over  whose  door  "  Know  thyself "  was  written,  was 
really  the  passage  office  of  some  Black  Ball  clipper  line  of 

(19) 


20 


PREPARATIONS   AT  HOME. 


ancient  days.  Man  is  generally  desirous  of  the  company  of 
his  fellow  man  or  woman,  but  on  a  long  sea  voyage  he  is  in 
danger  of  having  too  much  of  it.    He  has  the  alternative  of 

shutting  himself  in  his  room 
and  appearing  only  at  meal 
times,  but  as  solitude  has 
few  charms,  and  cabins  are 
badly  ventilated,  seclusion 
is  accompanied  by  ennui 
and  headache  in  about  equal 
proportions. 

Wishing  to  make  a  jour- 
ney round  the  world,  I  did 
not  look  favorably  upon  the 
ocean  route.  The  propor- 
tions of  water  and  land  were 
much  like  the  relative  quan- 
tities of  sack  and  bread  in 
FalstafTs  hotel  bill. 
Whether  on  the  Atlantic  or 
the  Pacific,  the  Indian,  or 
the  Arctic,  the  appearance 
of  Ocean's  blue  expanse  is  very  much  the  same.  It  is  water 
and  sky  in  one  place,  and  sky  and  water  in  another.  You 
may  vary  the  monotony  by  seeing  ships  or  shipping  seas,  but 
such  occurrences  are  not  peculiar  to  any  one  ocean.  Desiring 
a  reasonable  amount  of  land  travel,  I  selected  the  route  that 
included  Asiatic  and  European  Russia.  My  passport  properly 
endorsed  at  the  Russian  embassy,  authorized  me  to  enter  the 
empire  by  the  way  of  the  Amoor  river. 

A  few  days  before  the  time  fixed  for  my  departure,  I  visited 
a  Wall  street  banking  house,  and  asked  if  I  could  obtain  a 
letter  of  credit  to  be  used  in  foreign  travel. 
"  Certainly  sir,"  was  the  response. 
"  Will  it  be  available  in  Asia  ? 99 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  can  use  it  in  China,  India,  or  Australia, 
at  your  pleasure." 


CHARACTER  DEVELOPED. 


A    HILARIOUS    FAREWELL.  21 

"  Can  I  use  it  in  Irkutsk  ?  " 
"Where,  sir  I" 
"  In  Irkutsk." 

"  Really,  I  can't  say ;  what  is  Irkutsk  ?" 

"  It  is  the  capital  of  Eastern  Siberia." 

The  person  with  whom  I  conversed,  changed  from  gay  to 
grave,  and  from  lively  to  severe.  With  calm  dignity  he  re- 
marked, "  I  am  unable  to  say,  if  our  letters  can  be  used  at 
the  place  you  mention.  They  are  good  all  over  the  civilized 
world,  but  I  don't  know  anything  about  Irkutsk.  Never  heard 
of  the  place  before." 

I  bowed  myself  out  of  the  establishment,  with  a  fresh  con- 
viction of  the  unknown  character  of  the  country  whither  I 
was  bound.  I  obtained  a  letter  of  credit  at  the  opposition 
shop,  but  without  a  guarantee  of  its  availability  in  Northern 
Asia. 

In  a  foggy  atmosphere  on  the  morning  of  March  21,  1866, 
I  rode  through  muddy  streets  to  the  dock  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Company.  There  was  a  large  party  to  see  us  off, 
the  passengers  having  about  three  times  their  number  of 
friends.  There  were  tears,  kisses,  embraces,  choking  sighs, 
which  ne'er  might  be  repeated ;  blessings  and  benedictions 
among  the  serious  many,  and  gleeful  words  of  farewell  among 
the  hilarious  few.  One  party  of  half  a  dozen  became  merry 
over  too  much  champagne,  and  when  the  steward's  bell 
sounded  its  warning,  there  was  confusion  on  the  subject  of 
identity.  One  stout  gentleman  who  protested  that  he  would 
go  to  sea,  was  led  ashore  much  against  his  will. 

After  leaving  the  dock,  I  found  my  cabin  room-mate  a  gaunt, 
sallow-visaged  person,  who  seemed  perfectly  at  home  on  a 
steamer.  On  my  mentioning  the  subject  of  sea-sickness,  he 
eyed  me  curiously  and  then  ventured  an  opinion. 

"  I  see,"  said  he,  "  you  are  of  bilious  temperament  and  will 
be  very  ill.  As  for  myself,  I  have  been  a  dozen  times  over 
the  route  and  am  rarely  affected  by  the  ship's  motion." 

Then  he  gave  me  some  kind  advice  touching  my  conduct 
when  I  should  feel  the  symptoms  of  approaching  mat  du  mer. 


22 


A   BIBULOUS  BRITON. 


I  thanked  him  and  sought  the  deck.  An  hour  after  we  passed 
Sandy  Hook,  my  new  acquaintance  succumbed  to  the  evils 
that  afflict  landsmen  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships.  With- 
out any  qualm  of  stomach  or  conscience,  I  returned  the  ad- 
vice he  had  proffered  me.  I  did  not  suffer  a  moment  from 
the  marine  malady  during  that  voyage,  or  any  subsequent 
one.* 

The  voyage  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  has  been  so 
often  '  done '  and  is  so  well  watered,  that  I  shall  not  describe 
it  in  detail.  Most  of  the  passengers  on  the  steamer  were  old 
Californians  and  assisted  in  endeavoring  to  make  the  time 
pass  pleasantly.  There  was  plenty  of  whist-playing,  story 
telling,  reading,  singing,  flirtation,  and  a  very  large  amount 
of  sleeping.  So  far  as  I  knew,  nobody  quarreled  or  mani- 
fested any  disposition  to  be  riotous.  There  was  one  passenger, 
a  heavy,  burly  Englishman,  whose  sole  occupation  was  in 
drinking  "  arf  and  arf."  He  took  it  on  rising,  then  another 
drink  before  breakfast,  then  another  between  his  steak  and 
his  buttered  roll,  and  so  on  every  half  hour  until  midnight, 
when  he  swallowed  a  double  dose  and  went  to  bed.  He  had 
a  large  quantity  in  care  of  the  baggage  master,  and  every  day 
or  two  he  would  get  up  a  few  dozen  pint  bottles  of  pale  ale 
and  an  equal  quantity  of  porter.  He  emptied  a  bottle  of  each 
into  a  pitcher  and  swallowed  the  whole  as  easily  as  an  ordin- 
ary man  would  take  down  a  dose  of  peppermint.  The  empty 
bottles  were  thrown  overboard,  and  the  captain  said  that  if 
this  man  were  a  frequent  passenger  there  would  be  danger 
of  a  reef  of  bottles  in  the  ocean  all  the  way  from  New  York 


*  A  few  years  ago  a  friend  gave  me  a  prescription  which  he  said  would  prevent 
sea-sickness.    I  present  it  here  as  he  wrote  it. 

"  The  night  before  going  to  sea,  I  take  a  blue  pill  (5  to  10  grains)  in  order  to 
carry  the  bile  from  the  liver  into  the  stomach.  When  I  rise  on  the  following 
morning,  a  dose  of  citrate  of  magnesia  or  some  kindred  substance  finishes  my 
preparation.  I  take  my  breakfast  and  all  other  meals  afterward  as  if  nothing 
had  happened." 

I  have  used  this  prescription  in  my  own  case  with  success,  and  have  known  it 
to  benefit  others. 


i 


ACROSS   THE  ISTHMUS; 


23 


to  Aspinwall.  I  never  saw  his  equal  for  swallowing  malt 
liquors.    To  quote  from  Shakspeare,  with  a  slight  alteration : 

"  He  was  a  man,  take  him  for  half  and  half, 
I  ne'er  shall  look  upon  his  like  again." 


ASPINWALL  TO  PANAMA. 


We  had  six  hours  at  Aspinwall,  a  city  that  could  be  done 
in  fifteen  minutes,  but  were  allowed  no  time  on  shore  at  Pan- 
ama. It  was  late  at  night  when  we  left  the  latter  port.  The 
waters  were  beautifully  phosphorescent,  and  when  disturbed 


24 


ON   THE   CALM  PACIFIC. 


by  our  motion  they  flashed  and  glittered  like  a  river  of  stars. 
Looking  over  the  stern  one  could  half  imagine  our  track  a 
path  of  fire,  and  the  bay,  ruffled  by  a  gentle  breeze,  a  waving 
sheet  of  light.  The  Pacific  did  not  belie  its  name.  More 
than  half  the  way  to  San  Francisco  we  steamed  as  calmly 
and  with  as  little  motion  as  upon  a  narrow  lake.  Sometimes 
there  was  no  sensation  to  indicate  we  were  moving  at  all. 


SLIGHTLY  MONOTONOUS. 

Even  varied  by  glimpses  of  the  Mexican  coast,  the  occasional 
appearance  of  a  whale  with  its  column  of  water  thrown  high 
into  the  air,  and  the  sportive  action  of  schools  of  porpoises 
which  is  constantly  met  with,  the  passage  was  slightly  monot- 
onous. On  the  twenty-third  day  from  New  York  we  ended 
the  voyage  at  San  Francisco. 

On  arriving  in  California  I  was  surprised  at  the  number  of 
old  acquaintances  I  encountered.  When  leaving  New  York  I 
could  think  of  only  two  or  three  persons  I  knew  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, but  I  met  at  least  a  dozen  before  being  on  shore  twelve 
hours.  Through  these  individuals,  I  became  known  to  many 
others,  by  a  rapidity  of  introduction  almost  bewildering. 
Californians  are  among  the  most  genial  and  hospitable  people 


CALIFORNIAN  HOSPITALITY. 


25 


in  America,  and  there  is  no  part  of  onr  republic  where  a 
stranger  receives  a  kinder  and  more  cordial  greeting.  There 
is  no  Eastern  iciness  of  manner,  or  dignified  indifference  at 
San  Francisco.  Residents  of  the  Pacific  coast  have  told  me 
that  when  visiting  their  old  homes  they  feel  as  if  dropped 
into  a  refrigerator.  After  learning  the  customs  of  the  Occi- 
dent, one  can  fully  appreciate  the  sensations  of  a  returned 
Californian. 


MONTGOMERY  STREET  IN  HOLIDAY  DRESS. 


Montgomery  street,  the  great  avenue  of  San  Francisco,  is 
not  surpassed  any  where  on  the  continent  in  the  variety  of 
physiognomy  it  presents.  There  are  men  from  all  parts  of 
America,  and  there  is  no  lack  of  European  representatives. 
China  has  many  delegates,  and  Japan  also  claims  a  place. 
There  are  merchants  of  all  grades  and  conditions,  and  pro- 


26 


A   COSMOPOLITAN  CITY. 


fessional  and  unprofessional  men  of  every  variety,  with  a  long 
array  of  miscellaneous  characters.  Commerce,  mining,  agri- 
culture, and  manufactures,  are  all  represented.  At  the  wharves 
there  are  ships  of  all  nations.  A  traveler  would  find  little 
difficulty,  if  he  so  willed  it,  in  sailing  away  to  Greenland's  icy 
mountains  or  India's  coral  strand.  The  cosmopolitan  char- 
acter of  San  Francisco  is  the  first  thing  that  impresses  a 
visitor.  Almost  from  one  stand-point  he  may  see  the  church, 
the  synagogue,  and  the  pagoda.  The  mosque  is  by  no  means 
impossible  in  the  future. 


SAN  FRANCISCO,  1848. 


In  1848,  San  Francisco  was  a  village  of  little  importance. 
The  city  commenced  in  '49,  and  fifteen  years  later  it  claimed 
a  population  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand.*    No  one 


*  I  made  many  notes  with  a  view  to  publishing  two  or  three  chapters  upon 
California.    I  have  relinquished  this  design,  partly  on  account  of  the  un-Siberian 


SAN    FRANCISCO    OF  TO-DAY. 


27 


who  looks  at  this  city,  would  suppose  it  still  in  its  minority. 
The  architecture  is  substantial  and  elegant ;  the  hotels  vie 
with  those  of  New  York  in  expense  and  luxury ;  the  streets 
present  both  good  and  bad  pavements  and  are  well  gridironed 
with  railways ;  houses,  stores,  shops,  wharves,  all  indicate  a 
permanent  and  prosperous  community.    There  are  gas-works 


CHINESE  DINNER. 


ties. There 

are  the  Mission  Mills,  making  the  warmest  blankets  in  the 
world,  from  the  wool  of  the  California  sheep.    There  are  the 

character  of  the  Golden  State,  and  partly  because  much  that  I  had  written  is 
covered  by  the  excellent  hook  "Beyond  the  Mississippi,"  by  Albert  D.  Rich- 
ardson, my  friend  and  associate  for  several  years.  The  particulars  of  his  death 
by  assassination  are  familiar  to  many  readers. 


28 


A   VEXATIOUS  DELAY. 


fruit  and  market  gardens  whose  products  have  a  Brobcligna- 
gian  character.  There  are  the  immense  stores  of  wine  from 
California  vineyards  that  are  already  competing  with  those  of 
France  and  Germany.  There  are — I  may  as  well  stop  now, 
since  I  cannot  tell  half  the  story  in  the  limits  of  this  chapter. 

During  my  stay  in  California,  I  visited  the  principal  gold, 
copper,  and  quicksilver  mines  in  the  state,  not  omitting  the 
famous  or  infamous  Mariposa  tract.  In  company  with  Mr. 
Burlingame  and  General  Van  Valkenburg,  our  ministers  to 
China  and  Japan,  I  made  an  excursion  to  the  Yosemite  Val- 
ley, and  the  Big  Tree  Grove.  With  the  same  gentlemen  I 
went  over  the  then  completed  portion  of  the  railway  which 
now  unites  the  Atlantic  with  the  Pacific  coast,  and  attended 
the  banquet  given  by  the  Chinese  merchants  of  San  Francisco 
to  the  ambassadors  on  the  eve  of  their  departure.  A  Chinese 
dinner,  served  with  Chinese  customs  ; — it  was  a  prelude  to 
the  Asiatic  life  toward  which  my  journey  led  me. 

I  arrived  in  San  Francisco  on  the  thirteenth  of  April  and 
expected  to  sail  for  Asia  within  a  month.  One  thing  after 
another  delayed  us,  until  we  began  to  fear  that  we  should 
never  get  away.  For  more  than  six  weeks  the  time  of  de- 
parture was  kept  a  few  days  ahead  and  regularly  postponed. 
First,  happened  the  failure  of  a  contractor  ;  next,  the  non-ar- 
rival of  a  ship ;  next,  the  purchase  of  supplies ;  and  so  on 
through  a  long  list  of  hindrances.  In  the  beginning  I  was 
vexed,  but  soon  learned  complacency  and  gave  myself  no  un- 
easiness. Patience  is  an  admirable  quality  in  mankind,  and 
can  be  very  well  practiced  when  one  is  waiting  for  a  ship  to 
go  to  sea. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  June  we  were  notified  to  be  on  board 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  to  send  heavy  baggage  be- 
fore that  hour.  The  vessel  which  was  to  receive  us,  lay  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  from  the  wharf,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  possible  desertion  of  the  crew.  Punctual  to  the  hour,  I 
left  the  hotel  and  drove  to  the  place  of  embarkation.  My 
trunk,  valise,  and  sundry  boxes  had  gone  in  the  forenoon,  so 
that  my  only  remaining  effects  were  a  satchel,  a  bundle  of 


OUTWARD  BOUND. 


29 


newspapers,  a  dog,  and  a  bouquet.  The  weight  of  these  com- 
bined articles  was  of  little  consequence,  but  I  positively  de- 
clare that  I  never  handled  a  more  inconvenient  lot  of  baggage. 
While  I  was  descending  a  perpendicular  ladder  to  a  small 
boat,  some  one  abruptly  asked  if  that  lot  of  baggage  had  been 
cleared  at  the  custom  house.  Think  of  walking  through  a 
custom  house  with  my  portable  property !  Happily  the  ques- 
tion did  not  come  from  an  official. 

It  required  at  least  an  hour  to  get  everything  in  readiness 
after  we  were  on  board.  Then  followed  the  leave  taking  of 
friends  who  had  come  to  see  us  off  and  utter  their  wishes  for 
a  prosperous  voyage  and  safe  return.  The  anchor  rose  slowly 
from  the  muddy  bottom ;  steam  was  put  upon  the  engines, 
and  the  propeller  whirling  in  the  water,  set  us  in  motion. 
The  gang-way  steps  were  raised  and  the  rail  severed  our  con- 
nection with  America. 

It  was  night  as  we  glided  past  the  hills  of  San  Francisco, 
spangled  with  a  thousand  lights,  and  left  them  growing  fainter 
in  the  distance.  Steaming  through  the  Golden  Gate  we  were 
soon  on  the  open  Pacific  commencing  a  voyage  of  nearly  four 
thousand  miles.  We  felt  the  motion  of  the  waves  and  be- 
came fully  aware  that  we  were  at  sea.  The  shore  grew  in- 
distinct and  then  disappeared ;  the  last  visible  objects  being 
the  lights  at  the  entrance  of  the  bay.  Gradually  their  rays 
grew  dim,  and  when  daylight  came,  there  were  only  sky  and 
water  around  us. 

"  Far  upon  the  unknown  deep, 
With  the  billows  circling  round 
Where  the  tireless  sea-birds  sweep; 
Outward  bound. 

Nothing  but  a  speck  we  seem, 
In  the  waste  of  waters  round, 
Floating,  floating  like  a  dream ; 
Outward  bound." 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  G.  S.  Wright,  on  which  we  were  embarked,  was  a 
screw  steamer  of  two  hundred  tons  burthen,  a  sort  of 
pocket  edition  of  the  new  boats  of  the  Cunard  line.  She 
carried  the  flag  and  the  person  of  Colonel  Charles  S.  Bulkley, 
Engineer  in  Chief  of  the  Russo-American  Telegraph  Expe- 
dition. She  could  sail  or  steam  at  the  pleasure  of  her  cap- 
tain, provided  circumstances  were  favorable.  Compared  witli 
ocean  steamers  in  general,  she  was  a  very  small  affair  and 
displayed  a  great  deal  of  activity.  She  could  roll  or  pitch  to 
a  disagreeable  extent,  and  continued  her  motion  night  and 
day.  I  often  wished  the  eight-hour  labor  system  applied  to 
her,  but  my  wishing  was  of  no  use. 

Besides  Colonel  Bulkley,  the  party  in  the  cabin  consisted 
of  Captain  Patterson,  Mr.  Covert,  Mr.  Anossoff,  and  myself. 
Mr.  Covert  was  the  engineer  of  the  steamer,  and  amused  us 
at  times  with  accounts  of  his  captivity  on  the  Alabama  after 
the  destruction  of  the  Hatteras.  Captain  Patterson  was  an 
ancient  mariner  who  had  sailed  the  stormy  seas  from  his  boy- 
hood, beginning  on  a  whale-ship  and  working  his  way  from 
the  fore-castle  to  the  quarter  deck.  Mr.  Anossoff  was  a  Rus- 
sian gentleman  who  joined  us  at  San  Francisco,  in  the  capacity 
of  commissioner  from  his  government  to  the  Telegraph  Com- 
pany. For  our  quintette  there  was  a  cabin  six  feet  by  twelve, 
and  each  person  had  a  sleeping  room  to  himself. 

Colonel  Bulkley  planned  the  cabin  of  the  Wright,  and  I  shall 
always  consider  it  a  misfortune  that  the  Engineer-in-Chief 
was  only  five  feet  seven  in  his  boots  rather  than  six  feet  and 
over  like  myself.    The  cabin  roof  was  high  enough  for  the 

(30) 


DIFFICULTIES   OF   SEA  LIFE. 


81 


colonel,  but  too  low  for  me.  Under  the  skylight  was  the  only 
place  below  deck  where  I  could  stand  erect.  The  sleeping 
rooms  were  too  short  for  me,  and  before  I  could  lie  at  full 
length  in  my  berth,  it  was  necessary  to  pull  away  a  partition 
near  my  head.  The  space  thus  gained  was  taken  from  a 
closet  containing  a  few  trifles,  such  as  jugs  of  whiskey,  and 
cans  of  powder.  Fortunately  no  fire  reached  the  combusti- 
bles at  any  time,  or  this  book  might  not  have  appeared. 


OVER  SIX  FEET. 


There  was  a  forward  cabin  occupied  by  the  chief  clerk,  the 
draughtsman,  the  interpreter,  and  the  artist  of  the  expedition, 
with  the  first  and  second  officers  of  the  vessel.  Sailors,  fire- 
men, cook  and  cabin  boys  all  included,  there  were  forty-five 
persons  on  board.  Everybody  in  the  complement  being  mas- 
culine, we  did  not  have  a  single  flirtation  during  the  voyage. 

I  never  sailed  on  a  more  active  ship  than  the  Wright.  In 
ordinary  seas,  walking  was  a  matter  of  difficulty,  and  when 
the  wind  freshened  to  a  gale  locomotion  ceased  to  be  a  pas- 
time. Frequently  I  wedged  myself  into  my  berth  with  books 
and  cigar  boxes.  On  the  first  day  out,  my  dog  (for  I  traveled 
with  a  dog)  was  utterly  bewildered,  and  evidently  thought 
himself  where  he  did  not  belong.    After  falling  a  dozen  times 


32 


A   STORM    AT   SEA. — A   SOAPY  CABIN. 


upon  his  side,  he  succeeded  in  learning  to  keep  his  feet.  The 
carpenter  gave  him  a  box  for  a  sleeping  room,  but  the  space 
was  so  large  that  his  body  did  not  fill  it.  On  the  second  day 
from  port  he  took  the  bit  of  carpet  that  formed  his  bed  and 
used  it  as  a  wedge  to  keep  him  in  position.  From  that  time 
he  had  no  trouble,  though  he  was  not  fairly  on  his  sea  legs 
for  nearly  a  week. 

Sometimes  at*  dinner  our  soup  poured  into  our  laps  and 
seemed  engaged  in  reconstructing  the  laws  of  gravitation. 
The  table  furniture  was  very  uneasy,  and  it  was  no  uncom- 
mon occurrence  for  a  tea  cup  or  a  tumbler  to  jump  from  its 
proper  place  and  turn  a  somersault  before  stopping.  "We  had 
no  severe  storm  on  the  voyage,  though  constantly  in  expecta- 
tion of  one. 

In  1865  the  Wright  experienced  heavy  gales  with  little  in- 
terruption for  twelve  days.  She  lost  her  chimney  with  part 
of  her  sails,  and  lay  for  sixteen  hours  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea.  The  waves  broke  over  her  without  hindrance  and 
drenched  every  part  of  the  ship.  Covert  gave  an  amusing 
account  of  the  breaking  of  a  box  of  soap  one  night  during 
the  storm.  In  the  morning  the  cabin,  with  all  it  contained, 
was  thoroughly  lathered,  as  if  preparing  for  a  colossal  shave. 

Half  way  across  the  ocean  we  were  followed  by  sea-birds 
that,  curiously  enough,  were  always  thickest  at  meal  times. 
Gulls  kept  with  us  the  first  two  days  and  then  disappeared, 
their  places  being  taken  by  boobies.  The  gull  is  a  pretty  and 
graceful  bird,  somewhat  resembling  the  pigeon  in  shape  and 
agility.  The  booby  has  a  little  resemblance  to  the  duck,  but 
his  bill  is  sharp  pointed  and  curved  like  a  hawk's.  Beechey 
and  one  or  two  others  speak  of  encountering  the  Albatross  in 
the  North  Pacific,  but  their  statements  are  disputed  by  mari- 
ners of  the  present  day.  The  Albatross  is  peculiar  to  the 
south  as  the  gull  to  the  north.  Gulls  and  boobies  dart  into 
the  water  when  any  thing  is  thrown  overboard,  and  show 
great  dexterity  in  catching  whatever  is  edible.  At  night  they 
are  said  to  sleep  oh  the  waves,  and  occasionally  we  disturbed 
them  at  their  rest. 


CATCHING  SEA-BIRDS. 


33 


One  day  we  caught  a  booby  by  means  of  a  hook  and  line, 
and  found  him  unable  to  fly  from  the  deck.  It  is  said  that 
nearly  all  sea-birds  can  rise  only  from  the  water.  We  de- 
tained our  prize  long  enough  to  attach  a  medal  to  his  neck 
and  send 
him  away 
with  our 
date, loca- 
tion, and 
name.  If 
kept  an 
h  our  o  r 
more  on 
the  deck 
of  a  ship 
these 
birds  be- 

A  SEA-SICK  BOOBY. 

come  sea- 
sick, and  manifest  their  illness  just  as  an  able-bodied  lands- 
man exhibits  an  attack  of  marine  malady.    Strange  they 
should  be  so  affected  when  they  are  all  their  lives  riding  over 
the  tossing  waves. 

About  thirty  miles  from  San  Francisco  are  the  Farralone 
Islands,  a  favorite  resort  of  sea-birds.  There  they  assemble 
in  immense  numbers,  particularly  at  the  commencement  of 
their  breeding  season. 

Parties  go  from  San  Francisco  to  gather  sea-birds  eggs  at 
these  islands,  and  for  some  weeks  they  supply  the  market. 
These  eggs  are  largely  used  in  pastry,  omelettes,  and  other 
things,  where  their  character  can  be  disguised,  but  they  are 
far  inferior  to  hens'  eggs  for  ordinary  uses. 

There  were  no  islands  in  any  part  of  our  course,  and  we 
found  but  a  single  shoal  marked  on  the  chart.  We  passed 
far  to  the  north  of  the  newly  discovered  Brooks  Island,  and 
kept  southward  of  the  Aleutian  chain.  Since  my  return  to 
America  I  have  read  the  account  of  a  curious  discovery  on 
an  island  of  the  North  Pacific.  In  1816,  the  ship  Canton, 
3 


34 


SHIP  CANTON. 


, — TWO   SUNDAYS   IN   A  WEEK. 


belonging  to  the  East  India  Company,  sailed  from  Sitka  and 
was  supposed  to  have  foundered  at  sea.  Nothing  was  heard 
of  her  until  1867,  when  a  portion  of  her  wreck  was  found 

upon  a  coral  island  of  the 
Sybille  group.  The  re- 
maining timbers  were  in 
excellent  preservation,  and 
the  place  where  the  crew 
had  encamped  was  readily 
discernible.  The  frame 
of  the  main  hatchway  had 
been  cast  up  whole,  and  a 
large  tree  was  growing 
through  it.  The  quarter 
board  bearing  the  word 
"  Canton,"  lay  near  it,  and 
revealed  the  name  of  the 
lost  ship.  No  writing  or 
inscription  to  reveal  the 
fate  of  her  crew,  could  be 
found  anywhere. 

On  Friday,  July  thir- 
teenth, we  crossed  the  me- 
ridian of  180°  from  London,  or  half  around  the  world.  We 
dropped  a  day  from  our  reckoning  according  to  the  marine 
custom,  and  appeared  in  our  Sunday  dress  on  the  morrow. 
Had  we  been  sailing  eastward,  a  day  would  have  been  added 
to  our  calendar.  A  naval  officer  once  told  me  that  he  sailed 
eastward  over  this  meridian  on  Sunday.  On  the  following 
morning  the  chaplain  was  surprised  to  receive  orders  to  hold 
divine  service.  He  obeyed  promptly,  but  could  not  under- 
stand the  situation.  "With  a  puzzled  look  he  said  to  an  of- 
ficer— 

"  This  part  of  the  ocean  must  be  better  than  any  other  or 
we  would  not  have  Sunday  so  often." 

Sir  Francis  Drake,  who  sailed  around  the  world  in  the  time 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  did  not  observe  tins  rule  of  the  navigator, 


WRECK  OF  THE  SHIP  CANTON. 


ENCOUNTERING   A   BIG  FISH. 


35 


and  found  on  reaching  England  that  he  had  a  day  too  much. 
In  the  Marquesas  Islands  the  early  missionaries  who  came 
from  the  Indies  made  the  mistake  of  keeping  Sunday  on  Sat- 
urday. Their  followers  preserve  this  chronology,  while  later 
converts  have  the  correct  one.  The  result  is,  there  are  two 
Sabbaths  among  the  Christian  inhabitants  of  the  cannibal  is- 
lands. The  boy  who  desired  two  Sundays  a  week  in  order 
to  have  more  resting  time,  might  be  accommodated  by  be- 
coming a  Marquesas  colonist. 

On  the  day  we  crossed  this  meridian  we  were  three  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  nearest  Aleutian  Islands,  and  about  eight 
hundred  from  Kamchatka. 

The  boobies  continued  around  us,  but  were  less  numerous 
than  a  week  or  ten  days  earlier.  If  they  had  any  trouble 
with  their  reckoning,  I  did  not  ascertain  it.  A  day  later  we 
saw  three  "fur  seal"  playing  happily  in  the  water.  We 
hailed  the  first  and  asked  his  longitude,  but  he  made  no  re- 
ply .  I  never  knew  before  that  the  seal  ventured  so  far  from 
land.  Yet  his  movements  are  as  carefully  governed  as  those 
of  the  sea-birds,  and  though  many  days  in  the  open  water  he 
never  forgets  the  direct  course  to  his  favorite  haunts.  How 
marvelous  the  instinct  that  guides  with  unerring  certainty 
over  the  trackless  waters  ! 

A  few  ducks  made  their  appearance  and  manifested  a  feel- 
ing of  nostalgia.  Mother  Carey's  chickens,  little  birds  re- 
sembling swallows,  began  to  flit  around  us,  skimming  closely 
along  the  waves.  There  is  a  fiction  among  the  sailors  that 
nobody  ever  saw  one  of  these  birds  alight  or  found  its  nest. 
Whoever  harms  one  is  certain  to  bring  misfortune  upon  him- 
self and  possibly  his  companions.  A  prudent  traveler  would 
be  careful  not  to  offend  this  or  any  other  nautical  superstition. 
In  case  of  subsequent  danger  the  sailors  might  remember  his 
misdeed  and  leave  him  to  make  his  own  rescue. 

Nearing  the  Asiatic  coast  we  saw  many  whales.  One  after- 
noon, about  cigar  time,  a  huge  fellow  appeared  half  a  mile 
distant.  His  blowing  sounded  like  the  exhaust  of  a  western 
steamboat,  and  sent  up  a  respectable  fountain  of  spray. 


36 


RIFLE    PRACTICE   AT    A  WHALE. 


Covert  pronounced  him  a  high  pressure  affair,  with  hori- 
zontal engines  and  carrying  ninety  pounds  to  the  inch. 

After  sporting  awhile  in  the  misty  distance,  the  whale  came 
near  us.  It  was  almost  calm  and  we  could  see  him  without 
glasses.  He  rose  and  disappeared  at  intervals  of  a  minute, 
and  as  he  moved  along  he  rippled  the  surface  like  a  subsoil 
plough  on  a  gigantic  scale.  After  ten  or  twelve  small  dives, 
he  threw  his  tail  in  air  and  went  down  for  ten  minutes  or 
more.  "When  he  reappeared  he  was  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  from  his  diving  place. 

Once  he  disappeared  in  this  way  and  came  up  within  ten 
feet  of  our  bows.  Had  he  risen  beneath  us  the  shock  would 
have  been  severe  for  both  ship  and  whale.  After  this  ma- 
noeuvre he  went  leisurely  around  us,  keeping  about  a  hundred 
yards  away. 

"  He  is  working  his  engines  on  the  slow  bell,"  said  our 
engineer,  "  and  keeps  his  helm  hard-a-port." 

We  brought  out  our  rifles  to  try  this  new  game,  though  the 
practice  was  as  much  a  trial  of  skill  as  the  traditional  '  barn 
at  ten  paces.'  Several  shots  were  fired,  but  I  did  not  see 
any  thing  drop.  The  sport  was  amusing  to  all  concerned ; 
at  any  rate  the  whale  didn't  seem  to  mind  it,  and  we  were 
delighted  at  the  fun.  When  his  survey  was  finished  he  braced 
his  helm  to  starboard,  opened  his  throttle  valves  and  went 
away  to  windward. 

We  estimated  his  length  at  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  and 
thought  he  might  register  'Al,'  at  the  proper  office.  Cap- 
tain Patterson  called  him  a  '  bow  head,'  good  for  a  hundred 
barrels  of  oil  and  a  large  quantity  of  bone.  The  Colonel 
proposed  engaging  him  to  tow  us  into  port.  Covert  wished 
his  blubber  piled  in  our  coal  bunkers  ;  the  artist  sketched 
him,  and  the  draughtsman  thought  of  putting  him  on  a  Mer- 
cator's  projection.  For  my  part  I  have  written  the  little  I 
know  of  his  life  and  experiences,  but  it  is  very  little.  I  can- 
not even  say  where  he  lodges,  whose  hats  he  wears,  when  his 
notes  fall  due,  or  whether  he  ever  took  a  cobbler  or  the 
whooping  cough. 


INSTINCT   OF  THE  DOG. 


37 


Of  course  this  incident  led  to  stories  concerning  whales. 
Captain  Patterson  told  about  the  destruction  of  the  ship  Es- 
sex by  a  sperm  whale  thirty  or  more  years  ago.  The  Colonel 
described  the  whale  fishery  as  practiced  by  the  Kamchadales 
and  Aleutians.    These  natives  have  harpoons  with  short  lines 


ALEUTIANS  CATCHING  WHALES. 


to  which  they  attach  bladders  or  skin  bags  filled  with  air.  A 
great  many  boats  surround  a  whale  and  stick  him  with  as 
many  harpoons  as  possible.  If  successful,  they  will  so  en- 
cumber him  that  his  strength  is  not  equal  to  the  buoyancy  of 
the  bladders,  and  in  this  condition  he  is  finished  with  a  lance. 
A  great  feast  is  sure  to  follow  his  capture,  and  every  interested 
native  indulges  in  whale-steak  to  his  stomach's  content. 

The  day  before  we  came  in  sight  of  land,  my  dog  repeat- 
edly placed  his  fore  feet  upon  the  rail  and  sniffed  the  wind 


38 


WONDERS   OF  NAVIGATION. 


blowing  from  the  coast.  His  inhalations  were  long  and 
earnest,  like  those  of  a  tobacco  smoking  Comanche.  In  her 
previous  voyage  the  Wright  carried  a  mastiff  answering  to 
the  name  of  Rover.  The  colonel  said  that  whenever  they 
approached  land,  though  long  before  it  was  in  sight,  Rover 
would  put  his  paws  on  the  bulwarks  and  direct  his  nose  toward 
the  shore.  His  demonstrations  were  invariably  accurate,  and 
showed  him  to  possess  the  instinct  of  a  pilot,  whatever  his 
lack  of  training.  He  did  not  enjoy  the  ocean  and  was  always 
delighted  to  see  land. 

In  1865  an  Esquimaux  dog  was  domiciled  on  the  barque 
Golden  Gate,  on  her  voyage  from  Norton  Sound  to  Kamchatka. 
He  ran  in  all  parts  of  the  vessel,  and  made  himself  agreeable 
to  every  one  on  board.  At  Petropavlovsk  a  Kamchadale  dog 
became  a  passenger  for  San  Francisco.  Immediately  on 
being  loosed  he  took  possession  aft  and  drove  the  Esquimaux 
forward.  During  the  whole  passage  he  retained  his  place  on 
the  quarter  deck  and  in  the  cabin.  Occasionally  he  went 
forward  for  a  promenade,  but  he  never  allowed  the  other  dog 
to  go  abaft  the  mainmast.  The  Esquimaux  endeavored  to 
establish  amicable  relations,  but  the  Kamchadale  rejected  all 
friendly  overtures. 

I  heard  of  a  dog  on  one  of  the  Honolulu  packets  that  took 
his  turn  at  duty  with  the  regularity  of  a  sailor,  coming  on 
deck  when  his  watch  was  called  and  retiring  with  it  to  the 
forecastle.  When  the  sails  napped  from  any  cause  and  the 
clouds  indicated  a  sudden  shower,  the  dog  gave  warning  with 
a  bark — on  the  sea.  I  ventured  to  ask  my  informant  if  the 
animal  stood  the  dog  watch,  but  the  question  did  not  receive 
a  definite  answer. 

What  a  wonderful  thing  is  the  science  of  navigation.  One 
measures  the  sun's  height  at  meridian ;  looks  at  a  chronome- 
ter ;  consults  a  book  of  mystical  figures  ;  makes  a  little  slate 
work  like  a  school-boy's  problem ;  and  he  knows  his  position 
at  sea.  Twelve  o'clock,  if  there  be  neither  fog  nor  cloud,  is 
the  most  important  hour  of  a  nautical  day.  A  few  minutes 
before  noon  the  captain  is  on  deck  with  his  quadrant.  The 


FIRST   VIEW   OF  KAMCHATKA. 


39 


first  officer  is  similarly  provided,  as  he  is  supposed  to  keep  a 
log  and  practice-book  of  his  own.  Ambitious  students  of 
navigation  are  sure  to  appear  at  that  time.  On  the  Wright 
we  turned  out  four  instruments,  with  twice  as  many  hands  to 
hold  them.    A  minute  before  twelve,  conticucre  omnes. 

"  Eight  bells." 

"  Eight  bells,  sir." 

The  four  instruments  are  briefly  fixed  on  the  sun  and  the 
horizon,  the  readings  of  the  scale  are  noted,  and  the  quartette 
descend  to  the  practice  of  mathematics.  A  few  minutes  later 
we  have  the  result. 

"  Latitude  52°  8'  North,  Longitude  161°  14'  East.  Distance 
in  last  twenty-four  hours  two  hundred  forty-six  miles." 

The  chart  is  unrolled,  and  a  few  measurements  with  divid- 
ers, rule  and  pencil,  end  in  the  registry  of  our  exact  position. 
Unlike  the  countryman  on  Broadway  or  a  doubting  politician 
the  day  before  election,  we  do  know  where  we  are.  The  com- 
pass, the  chronometer,  .the  quadrant ;  what  would  be  the 
watery  world  without  them  ! 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  July  we  were  just  a  month  at  sea. 
In  all  that  time  we  had  spoken  no  ship  nor  had  any  glimpse 
of  land,  unless  I  except  a  trifle  in  a  flower  pot.  The  captain 
made  his  reckoning  at  noon,  and  added  to  the  reading — 

"  Seventy-five  miles  from  the  entrance  of  Avatcha  Bay. 
We  ought  to  see  land  before  sunset." 

About  four  in  the  afternoon  we  discovered  the  coast  just 
where  the  captain  said  we  should  find  it.  The  mountains 
that  serve  to  guide  one  toward  Avatcha  Bay  were  exactly  in 
the  direction  marked  on  our  chart.  To  all  appearances  we 
were  not  a  furlong  from  our  estimated  position.  How  easily 
may  the  navigator's  art  appear  like  magic  to  the  ignorant  and 
superstitious. 

The  breeze  was  light,  and  we  stood  in  very  slowly  toward 
the  shore.  By  sunset  we  could  see  the  full  outline  of  the 
coast  of  Kamchatka  for  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles. 
The  general  coast  line  formed  the  concavity  of  a  small  arc 
of  a  circle.    As  it  was  too  late  to  enter  before  dark,  and  we 


40 


A   VERDANT  LIGHT-KEEPER. 


did  not  expect  the  light  would  be  burning,  we  furled  all  our 
sails  and  lay  to  until  morning. 

By  daybreak  we  were  under  steam,  and  at  five  o'clock  I  came 
on  deck  to  make  my  first  acquaintance  with  Asia.  We  were 
about  twenty  miles  from  the  shore,  and  the  general  appear- 
ance of  the  land  reminded  me  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from 
Denver  or  the  Sierra  Nevadas  from  the  vicinity  of  Stockton. 
On  the  north  of  the  horizon  was  a  group  of  four  or  five 
mountains,  while  directly  in  front  there  were  three  separate 
peaks,  of  which  one  was  volcanic.  Most  of  these  mountains 
were  conical  and  sharp,  and  although  it  was  July,  nearly 
every  summit  was  covered  with  snow.  Between  and  among 
these  high  peaks  there  were  many  smaller  mountains,  but  no 
less  steep  and  pointed.  As  one  sees  it  from  the  ocean,  Kam- 
chatka appears  more  like  a  desolate  than  a  habitable  country. 

It  requires  very  good  eyesight  to  discover  the  entrance  of 
Avatcha  Bay  at  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  but  the  land- 
marks are  of  such  excellent  character  that  one  can  approach 
without  hesitation.  The  passage  is  more  than  a  mile  wide. 
Guarding  it  on  the  right  is  a  hill  nearly  three  hundred  feet 
high,  and  standing  almost  perpendicular  above  the  water. 
At  the  left  is,  a  rock  of  lesser  height,  terminating  a  tongue  or 
ridge  of  land.  On  the  hill  is  a  light-house  and  signal  station 
with  a  flag  staff.  Formerly  the  light  was  only  exhibited  when 
a  ship  was  expected  or  seen,  but  in  1866,  orders  were  given  for 
its  maintainance  every  night  during  the  summer  months. 

Years  ago,  on  the  coast  of  New  Hampshire,  a  man  from 
the  interior  was  appointed  light  keeper.  The  day  he  assumed 
his  position  was  his  first  on  the  sea-shore.  Very  soon  there 
were  complaints  that  his  lights  did  not  burn  after  midnight. 
On  being  called  to  account  by  his  superior,  he  explained — 

"  Well,  I  thought  all  the  ships  ought  to  be  in  by  midnight, 
and  I  wanted  to  save  the  ile." 


CHAPTER  III. 


AS  one  leaves  the  Pacific  and  enters  Avatcha  Bay  he 
passes  high  rocks  and  cliffs,  washed  at  their  base  by 
the  waves.  The  lond-sounding  ocean  working  steadily  against 
the  solid  walls,  has  worn  caverns  and  dark  passages,  haunted 
by  thousands  of  screaming  and  fluttering  sea-birds.  The 
bay  is  circular  and  about  twenty  miles  in  diameter ;  except 
at  the  place  of  entrance  it  is  enclosed  with  hills  and  moun- 
tains that  give  it  the  appearance  of  a  highland  lake.  All 
over  it  there  is  excellent  anchorage  for  ships  of  every  class, 
while  around  its  sides  are  several  little  harbors,  like  minia- 
ture copies  of  the  bay. 

At  Petropavlovsk  we  hoped  to  find  the  Russian  ship  of  war, 
Variag,  and  the  barque  Clara  Bell,  which  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  six  weeks  before  us.  As  we  entered  the  bay,  all 
eyes  were  turned  toward  the  little  harbor.  "  There  is  the 
Russian,"  said  three  or  four  voices  at  once,  as  the  tall  masts 
and  wide  spars  of  a  corvette  came  in  sight.  "  The  Clara 
Bell,  the  Clara  Bell — no,  it's  a  brig,"  was  our  exclamation  at 
the  appearance  of  a  vessel  behind  the  Variag. 

"  There's  another,  a  barque  certainly, — no,  it's  a  brig,  too," 
uttered  the  colonel  with  an  emphasis  of  disgust.  Evidently 
his  barque  was  on  the  sea. 

Rounding  the  shoal  we  moved  toward  the  fort,  the  Russian 
corvette  greeting  us  with  "Hail  Columbia"  out  of  compli- 
ment to  our  nationality.  We  carried  the  American  flag  at 
the  quarter  and  the  Russian  naval  ensign  at  the  fore  as  a 
courtesy  to  the  ship  that  awaited  us.  As  we  cast  anchor  just 
outside  the  little  inner  harbor,  the  Russian  band  continued 

(41) 


42 


A   PICTURE   OF  KAMCHATKA. 


playing  Hail  Columbia,  but  our  engineer  played  the  mischief 
with  the  music  by  letting  off  steam.  As  soon  as  we  were  at 
rest  a  boat  from  the  corvette  touched  our  side,  and  a  subor- 
dinate officer  announced  that  his  captain  would  speedily  visit 
us.  Very  soon  came  the  Captain  of  The  Port  or  Collector 
of  Customs,  and  after  him  the  American  merchants  residing 
in  the  town.  Our  gangway  which  we  closed  at  San  Francisco 
was  now  opened,  and  we  once  more  communicated  with  the 
world. 

Petropavlovsk  (Port  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul)  is  situated 
in  lat.  53°  1'  North,  long.  158°  43'  East,  and  is  the  principal 
place  in  Kamchatka.  It  stands  on  the  side  of  a  hill  sloping 
into  the  northern  shore  of  Avatcha  Bay,  or  rather  into  a  lit- 
tle harbor  opening  into  the  bay.  Fronting  this  harbor  is  a 
long  peninsula  that  hides  the  town  from  all  parts  of  the  bay 
except  those  near  the  sea.  The  harbor  is  well  sheltered  from 
winds  and  furnishes  excellent  anchorage.  It  is  divided  into 
an  inner  and  an  outer  harbor  by  means  of  a  sand  spit  that 
extends  from  the  main  land  toward  the  peninsula,  leaving  an 
opening  about  three  hundred  yards  in  width.  The  inner 
harbor  is  a  neat  little  basin  about  a  thousand  yards  in  diame- 
ter and  nearly  circular  in  shape. 

Some  of  the  mountains  that  serve  as  landmarks  to  the  ap- 
proaching mariner,  are  visible  from  the  town,  and  others  can 
be  seen  by  climbing  the  hills  in  the  vicinity.  Wuluchinski  is 
to  the  southward  and  not  volcanic,  while  Avatcha  and  Kori- 
anski,  to  the  north  and  east,  were  smoking  with  a  dignified 
air,  like  a  pair  of  Turks  after  a  champagne  supper.  Erup- 
tions of  these  volcanoes  occur  every  few  years,  and  during 
the  most  violent  ones  ashes  and  stones  are  thrown  to  a  con- 
siderable distance.  Captain  King  witnessed  an  eruption  of 
Avatcha  in  1779,  and  says  that  stones  fell  at  Petropavlovsk, 
twenty-five  miles  away,  and  the  ashes  covered  the  deck  of  his 
ship.  Mr.  Pierce,  an  old  resident  of  Kamchatka,  gave  me  a 
graphic  description  of  an  eruption  in  1861.  It  was  preceded 
by  an  earthquake,  which  overturned  crockery  on  the  tables, 


ETIQUETTE   AT   PETROPAVLO VSK. 


43 


and  demolished  several  ovens.  For  a  week  or  more  earth- 
quakes of  a  less  violent  character  occurred  hourly. 

Besides  the  Yariag  we  found  in  port  the  Russian  brig 
Poorga  and  the  Prussian  brig  Danzig,  the  latter  having  an 
American  captain,  crew,  hull,  masts,  and  rigging.  Two  old 
hulks  were  rotting  in  the  mud,  and  an  unseaworthy  schooner 
lay  on  the  beach  with  one  side  turned  upward  as  ij  in  agony. 
"  There  be  land  rats  and  water  rats,"  according  to  Shak- 
speare.  Some  of  the  latter  dwelt  in  this  bluff-bowed  schooner 
and  peered  curiously  from  the  crevices  in  her  sides. 

The  majority 
of  our  visitors 
made  their  calls 
very  brief.  After 
their  departure, 
I  went  on  shore 
with  Mr.  Hunter, 
an  American  res- 
i  d  e  n  t  of  Petro- 
pavlovsk.  In 
every  house  I  vis- 
ited I  was  pressed 
to  take  petnatzet 
copla  (fifteen 
drops,)  the  uni- 
versal name  there 
for  something 
stimulating.  The 
drops  might  be 
American 
whisky,  French  brandy,  Dutch  gin,  or  Russian  vodka.  David 
Crockett  said  a  true  gentleman  is  one  who  turns  his  back 
while  you  pour  whisky  into  your  tumbler.  The  etiquette  of 
Kamchatka  does  not  permit  the  host  to  count  the  drops  taken 
by  his  guest. 

Take  a  log  village  in  the  backwoods  of  Michigan  or  Min- 
nesota, and  transport  it  to  a  quiet  spot  by  a  well  sheltered 


BREACH  OF  ETIQUETTE. 


44 


A    KAMCHADALE  WEDDING. 


harbor  of  Lilliputian  size.  Cover  the  roofs  of  some  buildings 
with  iron,  shingles  or  boards  from  other  regions.  Cover  the 
balance  with  thatch  of  long  grass,  and  erect  chimneys  that 
just  peer  above  the  ridge  poles.  Scatter  these  buildings  on 
a  hillside  next  the  water ;  arrange  three-fourths  of  them  in 
a  single  street,  and  leave  the  rest  to  drop  wherever  they  like. 
Of  course  those  in  the  higgledy-piggledy  position  must  be  of 
the  poorest  class,  but  you  can  make  a  few  exceptions. 
Whitewash  the  inner  walls  of  half  the  buildings,  and  use 
paper  or  cloth  to  hide  the  nakedness  of  the  other  half. 

This  will  make  a  fair  counterfeit  of  Petropavlovsk.  In- 
side each  house  place  a  brick  stove  or  oven,  four  or  five  feet 
square  and  six  feet  high.  Locate  this  stove  to  present  a  side 
to  each  of  two  or  three  rooms.  In  each  side  make  an  aper- 
ture two  inches  square  that  can  be  opened  or  closed  at  will. 
The  amount  of  heat  to  warm  the  rooms  is  regulated  by 
means  of  the  apertures. 

Furnish  the  houses  with  plain  chairs,  tables,  and  an  oc- 
casional but  rare  piano.  Make  the  doors  very  low  and  the 
entries  narrow.  Put  a  picture  of  a  saint  in  the  principal 
room  of  every  house,  and  adorn  the  walls  with  a  few  engrav- 
ings. Make  a  garden  near  each  house,  and  let  a  few  miscel- 
laneous gardens  cling  to  the  hillside  and  strive  to  climb  it. 
Don't  forget  to  build  a  church,  or  you  will  fail  to  represent  a 
Russian  town. 

Petropavlovsk  has  no  vehicle  of  any  kind  except  a  single 
hand  cart.  Consequently  the  street  is  not  gashed  with  wheel 
ruts. 

\  'q  were  invited  to  'assist'  at  a  wedding  that  happened 
in  the  evening  after  our  arrival.  The  ceremony  was  to  begin 
at  five  o'clock,  and  was  a  double  affair,  two  sisters  being  the 
brides.  A  Russian  wedding  requires  a  master  of  ceremonies 
to  look  after  the  affair  from  beginning  to  end.  I  was  told  it 
was  the  custom  in  Siberia  (but  not  in  European  Russia)  for 
this  person  to  pay  all  expenses  of  the  wedding,  including  the 
indispensable  dinner  and  its  fixtures.  Such  a  position  is  not 
to  be  desired  by  a  man  of  limited  cash,  especially  if  the  lead- 


DISCOMFORTS   OF  A  WEDDING.  45 

ing  characters  are  inclined  to  extravagance.  Think  of  being 
the  conductor  of  a  diamond  wedding  in  New  York  or  Boston, 
and  then  paying  the  bills  ! 

The  steward  of  the  Variag  told  me  he  was  invited  to  con- 
duct  a 
wecldi  n  g 
shortly 
after  his 
arrival  at 
Petro- 
pavlovsk. 
Thinking 
it  an  hon- 
o  r  of 
which  he 
would 
hereafter 
be  proud, 
he  ac- 
cepted UNEXPECTED  HONORS. 

the  invi- 
tation.   Much  to  his  surprise  on  the  next  day  he  was  required 
to  pay  the  cost  of  the  entertainment. 

The  master  of  ceremonies  of  the  wedding  under  considera- 
tion was  Mr.  Phillipeus,  a  Russian  gentleman  engaged  in 
the  fur  trade.  The  father  of  the  brides  was  his  customer, 
and  doubtless  the  cost  of  the  wedding  was  made  up  in  sub- 
sequent dealings.  As  the  party  emerged  from  the  house  and 
moved  toward  the  church,  I  could  see  that  Phillipeus  was 
the  central  figure.  He  had  a  bride  on  each  arm,  and  each 
bride  was  clinging  to  her  prospective  husband.  The  women 
were  in  white  and  the  men  in  holiday  dress. 

Behind  the  front  rank  were  a  dozen  or  more  groomsmen 
and  bridesmaids.  Behind  these  were  the  members  of  the 
families  and  the  invited  relatives,  so  that  the  cortege  stretched 
to  a  considerable  length.  Each  of  the  groomsmen  wore  a 
bow  of  colored  ribbon  on  his  left  arm  and  a  smaller  one  in 


46 


WEDDING    CERE  M  ONY. 


the  button  hole.  The  children  of  the  families — quite  a  troop 
of  juveniles — brought  up  the  rear. 

The  church  is  of  logs,  like  the  other  buildings.  It  is  old, 
unpainted,  and  shaped  like  a  cross,  lacking  one  of  the  arms. 
The  doors  are  large  and  clumsy,  and  the  entrance  is  through 
a  vestibule  or  hall.  The  roof  had  been  recently  painted  a 
brilliant  red  at  the  expense  of  the  Variag's  officers.  On  the 
inside,  the  church  has  an  antiquated  appearance,  but  presents 
such  an  air  of  solidity  as  if  inviting  the  earthquakes  to  come 
and  see  it. 

There  were  no  seats  in  the  building,  nor  are  there  seats  of 
any  kind  in  the  edifices  of  the  same  character  in  any  part  of 
Russia.  It  is  the  theory  of  the  Eastern  Church  that  all  are 
equal  before  God.  In  His  service  no  distinction  is  made ; 
autocrat  and  subject,  noble  and  peasant,  stand  or  kneel  in  the 
same  manner  while  worshipping  at  His  altars. 

As  we  entered,  we  found  the  wedding  party  standing  in 
the  center  of  the  church  ;  the  spectators  were  grouped  nearer 
the  door,  the  ladies  occupying  the  front.  With  the  ther- 
mometer at  seventy-two,  I  found  the  upright  position  a  fatigu- 
ing one,  and  would  have  been  glad  to  send  for  a  camp  stool. 
Colonel  Bulkley  had  undertaken  to  escort  a  lady,  and  as  he 
stood  in  a  conspicuous  place,  his  uniform  buttoned  to  the 
very  chin  and  the  perspiration  pouring  from  his  face,  the  cere- 
mony appeared  to  have  little  charm  for  him. 

The  service  began  under  the  direction  of  two  priests,  each 
dressed  in  a  long  robe  extending  to  his  feet,  and  wearing  a 
chapeau  like  a  bell-crowned  hat  without  a  brim.  "  The  short 
one,"  said  a  friend  near  me,  pointing  to  a  little,  round,  fat, 
oily  man  of  God,  "  will  get  very  drunk  when  he  has  the  op- 
portunity. Watch  him  to-night  and  see  how  he  leaves  the 
dinner  party." 

Priests  of  the  Greek  Church  wear  their  hair  very  long, 
frequently  below  the  shoulders,  and  parted  in  the  middle,  and 
do  not  shave  the  beard.  Unlike  those  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
they  marry  and  have  homes  and  families,  engaging  in  secular 
occupations  which  do  not  interfere  with  their  religious  duties. 


MATRIMONY   FOR   A  POPE. 


47 


During  the  evening  after  the  wedding,  I  was  introduced  to 
"the  pope's  wife;"  and  learned  that  Russian  priests  are 
called  popes.  As  the  only  pope  then  familiar  to  my  thoughts 
is  considered  very  much  a  bachelor,  I  was  rather  taken  aback 
at  this  bit  of  information.  The  drink-loving  priest  was  head 
of  a  goodly  sized  family,  and  resided  in  a  comfortable  and 
well  furnished  dwelling. 


RUSSIAN  MARRIAGE. 


At  the  wedding  there  was  much  recitation  by  the  priests, 
reading  from  the  ritual  of  the  Church,  swinging  of  censers, 
singing  by  the  chorus  of  male  voices,  chanting  and  intona- 
tion, and  responses  by  the  victims.  There  were  frequent 
signs  of  the  cross  with  bowing  or  kneeling.  A  ring  was  used, 
and  afterwards  two  crowns  were  held  over  the  heads  of  the 
bride  and  bridegroom.  The  fatigue  of  holding  these  crowns 
was  considerable,  and  required  that  those  who  performed  the 
service  should  be  relieved  once  by  other  bridesmen.    After  a 


48 


RUSSIAN   LAMPS   AND  TAPERS. 


time  the  crowns  were  placed  on  the  heads  they  had  been  held 
over.  Wearing  these-  crowns  and  preceded  by  the  priests,  the 
pair  walked  three  times  round  the  altar  in  memory  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  while  a  portion  of  the  service  was  chanted. 
Then  the  crowns  were  removed  and  kissed  by  each  of  the 
marrying  pair,  the  bridegroom  first  performing  the  osculation. 
A  cup  of  water  was  held  by  the  priest,  first  to  the  bridegroom 
and  then  to  the  bride,  each  of  whom  drank  a  small  portion. 
After  this  the  first  couple  retired  to  a  little  chapel  and  the 
second  passed  through  the  ordeal.  The  preliminary  cere- 
mony occupied  about  twenty  minutes,  and  the  same  time  was 
consumed  by  each  couple. 

There  is  no  divorce  in  Russia,  so  that  the  union  was  one 
for  life  till  death.  Before  the  parties  left  the  church  they  re- 
ceived congratulations.  There  was  much  hand-shaking,  and 
among  the  women  there  were  decorous  kisses.  Our  party 
regretted  that  the  custom  of  bride  kissing  as  practiced  in 
America  does  not  prevail  in  Kamchatka. 

When  the  affair  was  ended,  the  whole  cortege  returned  to 
the  house  whence  it  came,  the  children  carrying  pictures  of 
the  Virgin  and  saints,  and  holding  lighted  candles  before 
them.  The  employment  of  lamps  and  tapers  is  universal  in 
the  Russian  churches,  the  little  flame  being  a  representation 
of  spiritual  existence  and  a  symbol  of  the  continued  life  of 
the  soul.  The  Russians  have  adapted  this  idea  so  completely 
that  there  is  no  marriage,  betrothal,  consecration,  or  burial, 
in  fact  no  religious  ceremony  whatever  without  the  use  of 
lamp  or  taper. 

In  the  house  of  every  adherent  to  the  orthodox  Russian 
faith  there  is  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  or  a  saint ;  sometimes 
holy  pictures  are  in  every  room  of  the  house.  I  have  seen 
them  in  the  cabins  of  steamboats,  and  in  tents  and  other 
temporary  structures.  No  Russian  enters  a  dwelling,  however 
humble,  without  removing  his  hat,  out  of  respect  to  the  holy 
pictures,  and  this  custom  extends  to  shops,  hotels,  in  fact  to 
every  place  where  people  dwell  or  transact  business.  During 
the  earlier  part  of  my  travels  in  Russia,  I  was  unaware  of 
this  custom,  and  fear  that  I  sometimes  offended  it. 


THE   POPE   AT  DINNER. 


49 


I  have  been  told  that  superstitious  thieves  hang  veils  or 
kerchiefs  before  the  picture  in  rooms  where  they  depredate. 
Enthusiastic  lovers  occasionally  observe  the  same  precaution. 
Only  the  eyes  of  the  image  need  be  covered,  and  secrecy  may 
be  obtained  by  turning  the  picture  to  the  wall. 

The  evening  began  with  a  reception  and  congratulations  to 
the  married  couples.  Then  we  had  tea  and  cakes,  and  then 
came  the  dinner.  The  party  was  like  the  African  giant  im- 
ported in  two  ships,  for  it  was  found  impossible  to  crowd  all 
the  guests  into  one  house.  Tables  were  set  in  two  houses 
and  in  the  open  yard  between  them. 

The  Russians  have  a  custom  of  taking  a  little  lunch  just 
before  they  begin  dinner.  This  lunch  is  upon  a  side  table  in 
the  dining  room,  and  consists  of  cordial,  spirits  or  bitters, 
with  morsels  of  herring,  caviar,  and  dried  meat  or  fish.  It 
performs  the  same  office  as  the  American  cocktail,  but  is 
oftener  taken,  is  more  popular  and  more  respectable.  After 
the  lunch  we  sat  down  to  dinner.  Fish  formed  the  first 
course  and  soup  the  second.  Then  we  had  roast  beef  and 
vegetables,  followed  by  veal  cutlets.  The  feast  closed  with 
cake  and  jelly,  and  was  thoroughly  washed  down  with  a 
dozen  kinds  of  beverages  that  cheer  and  inebriate. 

The  fat  priest  was  at  table  and  took  his  lunch  early.  His 
first  course  was  a  glass  of  something  liquid,  and  he  drank  a 
dozen  times  before  the  soup  was  brought.  Early  in  the  din- 
ner I  saw  him  gesturing  toward  me. 

"  He  wants  to  take  a  glass  with  you,"  said  some  one  at  my 
side. 

I  poured  out  some  wine,  and  after  a  little  trouble  in  touch- 
ing glasses  we  drank  each  other's  health. 

Not  five  minutes  later  he  repeated  his  gestures.  To  satisfy 
him  I  filled  a  glass  with  sherry,  as  there  was  no  champagne 
handy  at  the  moment,  and  again  went  through  the  clinking 
process.  As  my  glass  was  large  I  put  it  down  after  sipping 
a  few  drops,  but  the  old  fellow  objected.  Draining  and  invert- 
ing his  glass,  he  held  it  as  one  might  suspend  a  rat  by  the 
tail,  and  motioned  me  to  do  the  same.  Luckily  he  soon  after 
conceived  a  fondness  for  one  of  the  Wright's  officers,  and  the 
twain  fell  to  drinking.    The  officer,  assisted  by  three  men, 

4 


50 


WE  won't  go  home  'till  morning. 


went  on  board  late  at  night,  and  was  reported  attempting  to 
wash  his  face  in  a  tar-bucket  and  dry  it  with  a  chain  cable. 
About  midnight  the  priest  was  taken  home  on  a  shutter. 


RUSSIAN  POPE  AT  HOME. 


There  were  toasts  in  a  large  number,  with  a  great  deal  of 
cheering,  drinking,  and  smoking.  About  ten  o'clock  the  din- 
ner ended,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  a  dance.  Danc- 
ing was  not  among  my  accomplishments,  and  I  retired  to  the 
ship,  satisfied  that  on  my  first  day  in  Asia  I  had  been  treated 
very  kindly — and  very  often. 

For  two  days  more  the  wedding  festivities  continued,  eti- 
quette requiring  tire  parties  to  visit  all  who  attended  the  din- 
ner. On  the  third  day  the  hilarity  ceased,  and  the  happy 
couples  were  left  to  enjoy  the  honeymoon  with  its  promise  of 
matrimonial  bliss.    May  they  have  many  years  of  it. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  name  of  Kamchatka  is  generally  associated  with 
snow-fields,  glaciers,  frozen  mountains,  and  ice-bound 
shores.  Its  winters  are  long  and  severe  ;  snow  falls  to  a 
great  depth,  and  ice  attains  a  thickness  proportioned  to  the 
climate.  But  the  summers,  though  short,  are  sufficiently  hot 
to  make  up  for  the  cold  of  winter.  Vegetation  is  wonder- 
fully rapid,  the  grasses,  trees  and  plants  growing  as  much  in 
a  hundred  days  as  in  six  months  of  a  New  England  summer. 
Hardly  has  the  snow  disappeared  before  the  trees  put  forth 
their  buds  and  blossoms,  and  the  hillsides  are  in  all  the  ver- 
dure of  an  American  spring.  Men  tell  me  they  have  seen  in 
a  single  week  the  snows  disappear,  ice  break  in  the  streams, 
the  grass  spring  up,  and  the  trees  beginning  to  bud.  Nature 
adapts  herself  to  all  her  conditions.  In  the  Arctic  as  in  the 
Torrid  zone  she  fixes  her  compensations  and  makes  her  laws 
for  the  best  good  of  her  children. 

It  was  midsummer  when  we  reached  Kamchatka,  and  the 
heat  was  like  that  of  August  in  Richmond  or  Baltimore. 
The  thermometer  ranged  from  sixty-five  to  eighty.  Long 
walks  on  land  were  out  of  question,  unless  one  possessed  the 
power  of  a  salamander.  The  shore  of  the  bay  was  the  best 
place  for  a  promenade,  and  we  amused  ourselves  watching 
the  salmon  fishers  at  work. 

Salmon  form  the  principal  food  of  the  Eamchadales  and 
their  dogs.  The  fishing  season  in  Avatcha  Bay  lasts  about 
six  weeks,  and  at  its  close  the  salmon  leave  the  bay  and  as- 
cend the  streams,  where  they  are  caught  by  the  interior  na- 
tives.   In  the  bay  they  are  taken  in  seines  dragged  along  the 

(51) 


52 


FISH   IN  KAMCHATKA. 


shore,  and  the  number  of  fish  caught  annually  is  almost  be- 
yond computation. 

Some  years  ago  the  fishery  failed,  and  more  than  half  the 
dogs  in  Kamchatka  starved.  The  following  year  there  was 
a  bountiful  supply,  which  the  priests  of  Petropavlovsk  com- 
memorated by  erecting  a  cross  near  the  entrance  of  the  har- 
bor. The  supply  is  always  larger  after  a  scarcity  than  in 
ordinary  seasons. 

The  fish  designed  for  preservation  are  split  and  dried  in 
the  sun.  The  odor  of  a  fish  drying  establishment  reminded 
me  of  the  smells  in  certain  quarters  of  New  York  in  summer, 
or  of  Cairo,  Illinois,  after  an  unusual  flood  has  subsided. 
One  of  our  officers  said  he  counted  three  hundred  and  twenty 
distinct  and  different  smells  in  walking  half  a  mile. 

In  1865  one  of  the  merchants  started  the  enterprise  of 
curing  salmon  for  the  Sandwich  Island  market.  He  told  me 
he  paid  three  roubles,  (about  three  greenback  dollars,)  a  hun- 


dogs,  bears,  and  wolves  use  their  teeth  in  fishing.  Bears  are 
expert  in  this  amusement,  and  where  their  game  is  plenty 
they  eat  only  the  heads  and  backs.    The  fish  are  very  abun- 


dred  (in  number) 
for  the  fresh  fish, 
delivered  at  his 
establishment. 
Evidently  he 
found  the  specu- 
lation profitable, 
as  he  repeated  it 
the  following  year. 


When  the  sal- 
mon ascend  the 
rivers  they  furnish 
food  to  men  and 
animals.  The 
natives  catch 


A  SCALY  BRIDGE. 


them  in  nets  and 
with  spears,  while 


A   FISH   STORY. — A   RUSSIAN    TEA-PARTY.  53 

dant  in  the  rivers,  and  no  great  skill  is  required  in  their  cap- 
tare.  Men  with  an  air  of  veracity  told  me  they  had  seen 
streams  in  the  interior  of  Kamchatka  so  filled  with  salmon 
that  one  could  cross  on  them  as  on  a  corduroy  bridge  !  The 
story  has  a  piscatorial  sound,  but  it  may  be  true. 

House  gardening  on  a  limited  scale  is  the  principal  agri- 
culture of  Kamchatka.  Fifty  years  ago,  Admiral  Ricord  in- 
troduced the  cultivation  of  rye,  wheat,  and  barley  with  con- 
siderable success,  but  the  inhabitants  do  not  take  kindly  to 
it.  The  government  brings  rye  flour  from  the  Amoor  river 
and  sells  it  to  the  people  at  cost,  and  in  case  of  distress  it 
issues  rations  from  its  magazines. 

When  I  asked  why  there  was  no  culture  of  grain  in  Kam- 
chatka, they  replied :  "  What  is  the  necessity  of  it  ?  We 
can  buy  it  at  cost  of  the  government,  and  need  not  trouble 
ourselves  about  making  our  own  flour." 

There  is  not  a  sawmill  on  the  peninsula.  Boards  and 
plank  are  cut  by  hand  or  brought  from  California.  I  slept 
two  nights  in  a  room  ceiled  with  red-wood  and  pine  from  San 
Francisco. 

On  my  second  evening  in  Asia  I  passed  several  hours  at 
the  governor's  house.  The  party  talked,  smoked,  and  drank 
tea  until  midnight,  and  then  closed  the  entertainment  with  a 
substantial  supper.  An  interesting  and  novel  feature  of  the 
affair  was  the  Russian  manner  of  making  tea.  The  infusion 
had  a  better  flavor  than  any  I  had  previously  drank.  This  is 
due  partly  to  the  superior  quality  of  the  leaf,  and  partly  to 
the  manner  of  its  preparation. 

The  "  samovar"  or  tea-urn  is  an  indispensable  article  in  a 
Russian  household,  and  is  found  in  nearly  every  dwelling 
from  the  Baltic  to  Bering's  Sea.  "  Samovar"  comes  from 
two  Greek  words,  meaning  <  to  boil  itself.'  The  article  is 
nothing  but  a  portable  furnace  ;  a  brazen  urn  with  a  cylinder 
two  or  three  inches  in  diameter  passing  through  it  from  top 
to  bottom.  The  cylinder  being  filled  with  coals,  the  water  in 
the  urn  is  quickly  heated,  and  remains  boiling  hot  as  long  as 
the  fire  continues.    An  imperial  order  abolishing  samovars 


54 


HOW   TO    MAKE  TEA. 


throughout  all  the  Russias,  would  produce  more  sorrow  and 
indignation  than  the  expulsion  of  roast  beef  from  the  English 
bill  of  fare.  The  number  of  cups  it  will  contain  is  the  meas- 
ure of  a  samovar. 

Tea  pots  are  of  porcelain  or  earthenware.  The  tea  pot  is 
rinsed  and  warmed  with  hot  water  before  receiving  the  dry 
leaf.  Boiling  water  is  poured  upon  the  tea,  and  when  the 
pot  is  full  it  is  placed  on  the  top  of  the  samovar.  There  it 
is  kept  hot  but  not  boiled,  and  in  five  or  six  minutes  the  tea 
is  ready.    Cups  and  saucers  are  not  employed  by  the  Russians, 


tea  in  the  morning,  after  dinner,  after  lunch,  before  bed-time, 
in  the  evening,  at  odd  intervals  in  the  day  or  night,  and  they 
drink  a  great  deal  of  it  between  drinks. 

In  rambling  about  Petropavlovsk  I  found  the  hills  covered 
with  luxuriant  grass,  sometimes  reaching  to  my  knees.  Two 
or  three  miles  inland  the  grass  was  waist  high  on  ground 
covered  with  snow  six  weeks  before.  Among  the  flowers  I 
recognized  the  violet  and  larkspur,  the  former  in  great  abun- 
dance. Earlier  in  the  summer  the  hills  were  literally  carpeted 
with  flowers.    I  could  not  learn  that  any  skilled  botanist  had 


but  tumblers  are  gen- 
erally used  for  tea 
drinking,  and  in  the 
best  houses,  where  it 
can  be  afforded,  they 
are  held  in  silver  sock- 


\  ets  like  those  in  soda 
=    shops.  Only  loaf  sugar 
|  is  used  in  sweetening 
{  tea.    When  lemons 
|  can  be  had  they  are 
|  employed  to  give  fla- 
=  vor,  a  thin  slice,  nei- 
ther rolled  nor  press- 
ed, being  floated  on 
the  surface  of  the  tea. 


RUSSIAN  TEA  SERVICE. 


The  Russians  take 


RUSSIAN   AND    FOREIGN   TRADERS.  55 

ever  visited  Kamchatka  and  classified  its  flora.  Among  the 
arhoreal  productions  the  alder  and  birch  were  the  most  nu- 
merous. Pine,  larch,  and  spruce  grow  on  the  Kamchatka 
river,  and  the  timber  from  them  is  brought  to  Avatcha  from 
the  mouth  of  that  stream. 

The  commercial  value  of  Kamchatka  is  entirely  in  its  fur 
trade.  The  peninsula  has  no  agricultural,  manufacturing,  or 
mining  interest,  and  were  it  not  for  the  animals  that  lend 
their  skins  to  keep  us  warm,  the  merchant  would  find  no 
charms  in  that  region.  The  fur  coming  from  Kamchatka 
was  the  cause  of  the  Russian  discovery  and  conquest.  For 
many  years  the  trade  was  conducted  by  individual  merchants 
from  Siberia.  The  Russian  American  Company  attempted  to 
control  it  early  in  the  present  century,  and  drove  many  com- 
petitors from  the  fields.  It  received  the  most  determined 
opposition  from  American  merchants,  and  in  1860  it  aban- 
doned Petropavlovsk,  its  business  there  being  profitless. 

In  1866  I  found  the  fur  trade  of  Kamchatka  in  the  control 
of  three  merchants :  W.  II.  Boardman,  of  Boston,  J.  W. 
Fluger,  of  Hamburg,  and  Alexander  Phillipeus,  of  St.  Peters- 
burg. All  of  them  had  houses  in  Petropavlovsk,  and  each 
had  from  one  to  half  a  dozen  agencies  or  branches  elsewhere. 
To  judge  by  appearances,  Mr.  Boardman  had  the  lion's  share 
of  the  trade.  This  gentleman's  father  began  the  Northwest 
traffic  sometime  in  the  last  century,  and  left  it  as  an  inherit- 
ance about  1828.  His  son  continued  the  business  until  bought 
off  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  when  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  Kamchatka.  Personally  he  has  never  visited  the 
Pacific  Ocean. 

Mr.  Fluger  had  been  only  two  years  in  Kamchatka,  and 
was  doing  a  miscellaneous  business.  Boardman's  agent  con- 
fined himself  to  the  fur  trade,  but  Fluger  was  up  to  anything. 
He  salted  salmon  for  market,  sent  a  schooner  every  year  into 
the  Arctic  Ocean. for  walrus  teeth  and  mammoth  tusks,  bought 
furs,  sold  goods,  kept  a  dog  team,  was  attentive  to  the  ladies, 
and  would  have  run  for  Congress  had  it  been  possible.  He 
had  in  his  store  about  half  a  cord  of  walrus  teeth  piled  against 
a  back  entrance  like  stove  wood. 


56 


A   NEW   KIND    OF   LEGAL  TENDER. 


Phillipcus  was  a  roving  blade.  He  kept  an  agent  at  Petro- 
pavlovsk  and  came  there  in  person  once  a  year.  In  February 
he  left  St.  Petersburg  for  London,  whence  he  took  the  Red 
Sea  route  to  Japan.  There  he  chartered  a  brig  to  visit  Kam- 
chatka and  land  him  at  Ayan,  on  the  Ohotsk  Sea.  From 
Ayan  he  went  to  Yakutsk,  and  from  that  place  through  Ir- 
kutsk to  St.  Petersburg,  where  he  arrived  about  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days  after  his  departure.  I  met  him  in  the 
Russian  capital  just  as  he  had  completed  the  sixth  journey 
of  this  kind  and  was  about  to  commence  the  seventh.  If  he 
were  a  Jew  he  should  be  called  the  wandering  Jew. 

Trade  is  conducted  on  the  barter  principle,  furs  being  low 
and  goods  high.    The  risks  are  great,  transport  is  costly,  and 

money  is  a  long  time 
invested  before  it  re- 
turns.   The  palmy 
days  of  the  fur  trade 
are  over ;  the  product 
has  greatly  diminish- 
ed, and  competition 
has  reduced  the  per- 
centage of  profit  on 
the  little  that  remains. 
There  was  a  time 
in  the  memory  of  man  when  furs 
formed  the  currency  of  Kamchatka. 
Their  employment  as  cash  is  not 
unknown  at  present,  although  Rus- 
sian money  is  in  general  circulation. 

There  is  a  story  of  a  traveler  who 
paid  his  hotel  bill  in  a  country  town 
in  Minnesota  and  received  a  beaver  skin  in  change.  The 
landlord  explained  that  it  was  legal  tender  for  a  dollar. 
Concealing  this  novel  cash  under  his  coat,  the  traveler  saun- 
tered into  a  neighboring  store. 

"  Is  it  true,"  he  asked  carelessly,  "  that  a  beaver  skin  is 
legal  tender  for  a  dollar  ?  " 


CHANGE  FOR  A  DOLLAR 


EXTENT   OF   THE   FUR    TRADE.  57 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  merchant ;  "  anybody  will  take  it." 

"  Will  yon  be  so  kind,  then,"  was  the  traveler's  request, 
"  as  to  give  me  change  for  a  dollar  bill  ? " 

"  Certainly,"  answered  the  merchant,  taking  the  beaver 
skin  and  returning  four  muskrat  skins,  current  at  twenty-five 
cents  each.  \ 

The  sable  is  the  principal  fur  sought  by  the  merchants  in 
Kamchatka,  or  trapped  by  the  natives.  The  animal  is  caught 
in  a  variety  of  ways,  man's  ingenuity  being  taxed  to  capture 
him.  The  '  yessak,'  or  4  poll-tax '  of  the  natives  is  payable  in 
sable  fur,  at  the  rate  of  a  skin  for  every  four  persons.  The 
governor  makes  a  yearly  journey  through  the  peninsula  to 
collect  the  tax,  and  is  supposed  to  visit  all  the  villages.  The 
merchants  go  and  do  likewise  for  trading  purposes. 

Mr.  George  S.  Cushing,  who  was  long  the  agent  of  Mr. 
Boardman  in  Kamchatka,  estimated  the  product  of  sable  fur 
at  about  six  thousand  skins  annually.  Sometimes  it  exceeds 
and  sometimes  falls  below  that  figure.  About  a  thousand 
foxes,  a  few  sea  otters  and  silver  foxes,  and  a  good  many 
bears,  may  be  added,  more  for  number  than  value.  Silver 
foxes  and  otters  are  scarce,  while  common  foxes  and  bears 
are  of  little  account.  A  black  fox  is  worth  a  great  deal  of 
money,  but  one  may  find  a  white  crow  almost  as  readily. 

Bears  are  abundant,  but  their  skins  are  not  articles  of  ex- 
port. The  beasts  are  brown  or  black,  and  grow  to  a  disa- 
greeable size.  Bear  hunting  is  an  amusement  of  the  country, 
very  pleasant  and  exciting  until  the  bear  turns  and  becomes 
the  hunter.  Then  there  is  no  fun  in  it,  if  he  succeeds  in  his 
pursuit.  A  gentleman  in  Kamchatka  gave  me  a  bearskin 
more  than  six  feet  long,  and  declared  that  it  was  not  unus- 
ually large.  I  am  very  glad  there  was  no  live  bear  in  it  when 
it  came  into  my  possession. 

There  is  a  story  of  a  man  in  California  who  followed '  the 
track  of  a  grizzly  bear  a  day  and  a  half.  He  abandoned  it 
because,  as  he  explained,  "  it  was  getting  a  little  too  fresh." 

One  day,  about  two  years  before  my  visit,  a  cow  suddenly 
entered  Petropavlovsk  with  a  live  bear  on  her  back.  The 


58 


BEAR   HUNTING   IN  SIBERIA. 


bear  escaped  unhurt,  leaving  the  cow  pretty  well  scratched. 
After  that  event  she  preferred  to  graze  in  or  near  the  town, 
and  never  brought  home  another  bear. 


COW  AND  BEAK. 


Kamchatka  without  dogs  would  be  like  Hamlet  without 
Hamlet.  While  crossing  the  Pacific  my  compagnons  du  voy- 
age made  many  suggestions  touching  my  first  experience  in 
Kamchatka.  "  You  won't  sleep  any  the  first  night  in  port. 
The  dogs  will  howl  you  out  of  your  seven  senses."  This  was 
the  frequent  remark  of  the  engineer,  corroborated  by  others. 
On  arriving,  we  were  disappointed  to  find  less  than  a  hundred 
dogs  at  Petropavlovsk,  as  the  rest  of  the  canines  belonging 


PECULIARITIES    OF  DOGS. 


59 


there  were  spending  vacation  in  the  country.  About  fifteen 
hundred  were  owned  in  the  town. 

Very  few  Kamchadale  dogs  can  bark,  but  they  will  howl 
oftener,  longer,  and  louder  than  any  c  yaller  dog '  that  ever 
went  to  a  cur  pound  or  became  sausage  meat.  The  few  in 
Petropavlovsk  made  much  of  their  ability,  and  were  especially 
vocal  at  sunset,  near  their  feeding  time.  Occasionally  during 
the  night  they  try  their  throats  and  keep  up  a  hailing  and 
answering  chorus,  calculated  to  draw  a  great  many  oaths 
from  profane  strangers. 

In  1865  Colonel  Bulkley  carried  one  of  these  animals  to 
California.  The  dog  lifted  up  his  voice  on  the  waters  very 
often,  and  received  a  great  deal  of  rope's  ending  in  conse- 
quence. At  San  Francisco  Mr.  Covert  took  him  home,  and 
attempted  his  domestication.  4  Norcum,'  (for  that  was  the 
brute's  name,)  created  an  enmity  between  Covert  and  all 
who  lived  within  hearing  distance,  and  many  were  the  threats 
of  canicide.  Covert  used  to  rise  two  or  three  times  every 
night  and  argue,  with  a  club,  to  induce  Norcum  to  be  silent. 
While  I  was  at  San  Francisco,  Mr.  Mumford,  one  of  the  Tele- 
graph Company's  directors,  conceived  a  fondness  for  the  dog, 
and  took  him  to  the  Occidental  Hotel. 

On  the  first  day  of  his  hotel  life  we  tied  Norcum  on  the 
balcony  in  front  of  Mumford' s  room,  about  forty  feet  from 
the  ground.  Scarcely  had  we  gone  to  dinner  when  he  jumped 
from  the  balcony  and  hung  by  his  chain,  with  his  hind  feet 
resting  upon  a  cornice. 

A  howling  wilderness  is  nothing  to  the  noise  he  made  be- 
fore his  rescue,  and  he  gathered  and  amused  a  large  crowd 
with  his  performance.  He  passed  the  night  in  the  western 
basement  of  the  hotel,  and  spoiled  the  sleep  of  a  dozen  or 
more  persons  who  lodged  near  him.  When  we  left  San  Fran- 
cisco, Norcum  was  residing  in  the  baggage-room  at  the  Occi- 
dental, under  special  care  of  the  porters,  who  employed  a 
great  deal  of  muscle  in  teaching  him  that  silence  was  a  golden 
virtue. 

The  Kamchadale  dogs  are  of  the  same  breed  as  those  used 


60 


WINTER   TRAVEL    IN  KAMCHATKA. 


by  the  Esquimaux,  but  are  said  to  possess  more  strength  and 
endurance.  The  best  Asiatic  dogs  are  among  the  Koriaks, 
near  Penjiusk  Gulf,  the  difference  being  due  to  climate  and 
the  care  taken  in  breeding  them.    Dogs  are  the  sole  reliance 


to  twenty-one.    The  most  intelligent 


and  best  trained  dog  acts  as  a  leader,  the  others  being  har- 
nessed in  pairs.  No  reins  are  used,  the  voice  of  the  driver 
being  sufficient  to  guide  them. 

Dogs  are  fed  almost  entirely  upon  fish.  They  receive  their 
rations  daily  at  sunset,  and  it  is  always  desirable  that  each 
driver  should  feed  his  own  team.  The  day  before  starting  on 
a  journey,  the  dog  receives  a  half  ration  only,  and  he  is  kept 
on  this  slender  diet  as  long  as  the  journey  lasts.  Sometimes 
when  hungry  they  gnaw  their  reindeer  skin  harnesses,  and 
sometimes  they  do  it  as  a  pastime.  Once  formed,  the  habit 
is  not  easy  to  break. 


TRAVELING   WITH  SLEDGES. 


61 


Two  kinds  of  sledges  are  used,  one  for  travel  and  the  other 
for  transporting  freight.  The  former  is  light  and  just  large 
enough  for  one  person  with  a  little  baggage.  *  The  driver  sits 
with  his  feet  hanging  over  the  side,  and  clings  to  a  bow  that 
rises  in  front.  In  one  hand  he  holds  an  iron-pointed  staff, 
with  which  he  retards  the  vehicle  in  descending  hills,  or 
brings  it  to  a  halt.  A  traveling  sledge  weighs  about  twenty- 
five  pounds,  but  a  freight  sledge  is  much  heavier. 

A  good  team  will  travel  from  forty  to  sixty  miles  a  day 
with  favorable  roads.  Sometimes  a  hundred  a  day  may  be 
accomplished,  but  very  rarely.  Once  an  express  traveled  from 
Petropavlovsk  to  Bolcheretsk,  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles, 
in  twenty-three  hours,  without  change  of  dogs. 

Wolves  have  an  inconvenient  fondness  for  dog  meat,  and 
occasionally  attack  travelers.  A  gentleman  told  me  that  a 
wolf  once  sprang  from  the  bushes,  seized  and  dragged  away 
one  of  his  dogs,  and  did  not  detain  the  team  three  minutes. 
The  dogs  are  cowardly  in  their  dispositions,  and  will  not  fight 
unless  they  have  large  odds  in  their  favor.  A  pack  of  them 
will  attack  and  kill  a  single  strange  dog,  but  would  not  dis- 
turb a  number  equaling  their  own. 

Most  of  the  Russian  settlers  buy  their  dogs  from  the  natives 
who  breed  them.  Dogs  trained  to  harness  are  worth  from 
ten  to  forty  roubles  (dollars)  each,  according  to  their  quality. 
Leaders  bring  high  prices  on  account  of  their  superior  docil- 
ity and  the  labor  of  training  them.  Epidemics  are  frequent 
among  dogs  and  carry  off  great  numbers  of  them.  Hydro- 
phobia is  a  common  occurrence. 

The  Russian  inhabitants  of  Kamchatka  are  mostly  de- 
scended from  Cossacks  and  exiles.  There  is  a  fair  but  not 
undue  proportion  of  half  breeds,  the  natural  result  of  mar- 
riage between  natives  and  immigrants.  There  are  about  four 
hundred  Russians  at  Petropavlovsk,  and  the  same  number  at 
each  of  two  other  points.  The  aboriginal  population  is  about 
six  thousand,  including  a  few  hundred  dwellers  on  the  Kurile 
Islands. 

No  exiles  have  been  sent  to  Kamchatka  since  1830.  One 


62 


ERECTING    A  MONUMENT. 


old  man  who  had  been  forty  years  a  colonist  was  living  at 
Avatcha  in  1866.  lie  was  at  liberty  to  return  to  Europe,  but 
preferred  remaining. 

In  IT 71  occurred  the  first  voyage  from  Kamchatka  to  a 
foreign  port,  and  curiously  enough,  it  was  performed  under 
the  Polish  flag.  A  number  of  exiles,  headed  by  a  Pole  named 
Benyowski,  seized  a  small  vessel  and  put  to  sea.  Touching 
at  Japan  and  Loo  Choo  to  obtain  water  and  provisions,  the 
party  reached  the  Portuguese  colony  of  Macao  in  safety. 
There  were  no  nautical  instruments  or  charts  on  the  ship,  and 
the  successful  result  of  the  voyage  was  more  accidental  than 
otherwise. 

Close  by  the  harbor  of  Petropavlovsk  there  is  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  the  ill-fated  and  intrepid  navigator,  La 
Perouse.  It  bears  no  inscription,  and  was  evidently  built  in 
haste.  There  is  a  story  that  a  French  ship  once  arrived  in 
Avatcha  Bay  on  a  voyage  of  discovery.  Her  captain  asked 
the  governor  if  there  was  anything  to  commemorate  the  visit 
of  La  Perouse. 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  I  will  show  it  to  you  in  the 
morning." 

During  the  night  the  monument  was  hastily  constructed  of 
wood  and  sheet  iron,  and  fixed  in  the  position  to  which  the 
governor  led  his  delighted  guest. 

Captain  Clerke,  successor  to  Captain  Cook,  of  Sandwich 
Island  memory,  died>while  his  ships  were  in  Avatcha  Bay, 
and  was  buried  at  Petropavlovsk.  A  monument  that  formerly 
marked  his  grave  has  disappeared.  Captain  Lund  and  Colo- 
nel Bulkley  arranged  to  erect  a  durable  memorial  in  its  place. 
We  prepared  an  inscription  in  English  and  Russian,  and  for 
temporary  purposes  fixed  a  small  tablet  on  the  designated 
spot.  Americans  and  Russians  formed  the  party  that  listened 
to  the  brief  tribute  which  one  of  our  number  paid  to  the 
memory  of  the  great  navigator. 

In  the  autumn  of  1854,  a  combined  English  and  French 
-fleet  of  six  ships  suffered  a  severe  repulse  from  several  land 
batteries  and  the  guns  of  a  Russian  frigate  in  the  harbor. 


THE    BATTLE    OF   PETROP AVLOVSK. 


63 


Twice  beaten  off,  their  commanders  determined  an  assault. 
They  landed  a  strong  force  of  sailors  and  marines,  that  at- 
tempted to  take  the  town  in  the  rear,  but  the  Kamchadale 
sharpshooters  created  a  panic,  and  drove  the  assailants  over 
a  steeply  sloping  cliff  two  hundred  feet  high. 


REPULSE  OF  THE  ASSAILANTS. 


Naturally  the  natives  are  proud  of  their  success  in  this  bat- 
tle, and  mention  it  to  every  visitor.  The  English  Admiral 
committed  suicide  early  in  the  attack.  The  fleet  retired  to 
San  Francisco,  and  returned  in  the  following  year  prepared 
to  capture  the  town  at  all  hazards,  but  Petropavlovsk  had 
been  abandoned  by  the  Russians,  who  retired  beyond  the  hills. 
An  American  remained  in  charge  of  a  trading  establishment, 
and  hoisted  his  national  colors  over  it.  The  allies  burned  the 
government  property  and  destroyed  the  batteries. 

There  were  five  or  six  hundred  dogs  in  town  when  the  fleet 
entered  the  bay.  Their  violent  howling  held  the  allies  aloof 
a  whole  day,  under  the  impression  that  a  garrison  should  be 
very  large  to  have  so  many  watch-dogs. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  first  project  for  making  discoveries  in  the  ocean  east 
of  Kamchatka  was  formed  by  Peter  the  Great.  Dan- 
ish, German,  and  English  navigators  and  savans  were  sent  to 
the  eastern  coast  of  Asia  to  conduct  explorations  in  the  de- 
sired quarter,  but  very  little  was  accomplished  in  the  lifetime 
of  the  great  czar.    His  successors  carried  out  his  plans. 

In  June,  1741,  Vitus  Bering,  the  first  navigator  of  the 
straits  which  bear  his  name,  sailed  from  Avatcha  Bay.  Pass- 
ing south  of  the  islands  of  the  Aleutian  chain,  Bering  steered 
to  the  eastward,  and  at  length  discovered  the  American  con- 
tinent. "  On  the  16th  of  July,"  says  Steller,  the  naturalist 
and  historian  of  the  expedition,  "  we  saw  a  mountain  whose 
height  was  so  great  as  to  be  visible  at  the  distance  of  sixteen 
Dutch  miles.  The  coast  of  the  continent  was  much  broken 
and  indented  with  bays  and  harbors." 

The  nearest  point  of  land  was  named  Cape  St.  Elias,  as  it 
was  discovered  on  St.  Elias'  day.  The  high  mountain  re- 
ceived the  name  of  the  saint,  and  has  clung  to  it  ever  since. 

When  Bering  discovered  Russian  America  he  had  no  thought 
it  would  one  day  be  sold  to  the  United  States,  and  there  is 
nothing  to  show  that  he  ever  corresponded  with  Mr.  Seward 
about  it.  He  sailed  a  short  distance  along  its  coast,  visited 
various  islands,  and  then  steered  for  Kamchatka. 

The  commander  was  confined  to  his  cabin  by  illness,  and 
the  crew  suffered  severely  from  scurvy.    "  At  one  period," 
says  Steller,  "  only  ten  persons  were  capable  of  duty,  and 
they  were  too  weak  to  furl  the  sails,  so  that  the  ship  was  left  x 
to  the  mercy  of  the  elements.    Not  only  the  sick  died,  but 

(64) 


VOYAGES   IN    FRAIL  VESSELS. 


65 


those  who  pretended  to  be  healthy  fainted  and  fell  down  dead 
when  relieved  from  their  posts." 

In  this  condition  the  navigators  were  drifted  upon  a  rocky 
island,  where  their  ship  went  to  pieces,  but  not  until  all  had 
landed.  Many  of  the  crew  died  soon  after  going  on  shore, 
but  the  transfer  from  the  ship  appeared  to  diminish  the  rav- 
ages of  the  scurvy.  Commander  Bering  died  on  the  8th  of 
December,  and  was  buried  in  the  trench  where  he  lay.  The 
island  where  he  perished  bears  his  name,  but  his  grave  is  un- 
marked. An  iron  monument  to  his  memory  was  recently 
erected  at  Petropavlovsk. 

No  human  dwellers  were  found  on  the  island.  Foxes  were 
numerous  and  had  no  fear  of  the  shipwrecked  mariners. 
"  We  killed  many  of  them,"  Steller  adds,  "  with  our  hatchets 
and  knives.  They  annoyed  us  greatly,  and  we  were  unable 
to  keep  them  from  entering  our  shelters  and  stealing  our 
clothing  and  food."  The  survivors  built  a  small  vessel  from 
the  wreck,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  Avatcha  in  the  follow- 
ing summer.  "  We  were  given  up  for  dead,"  says  the  histo- 
rian, "  and  the  property  we  left  in  Kamchatka  had  been  ap- 
propriated by  strangers." 

The  reports  concerning  the  abundance  of  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals on  Bering's  Island  and  elsewhere,  induced  private  par- 
ties to  go  in  search  of  profit.  Various  expeditions  were  fitted 
out  in  ships  of  clumsy  construction  and  bad  sailing  qualities. 
The  timbers  were  fastened  with  wooden  pins  and  leathern 
thongs,  and  the  crevices  were  caulked  with  moss.  Occasion- 
ally the  cordage  was  made  from  reindeer  skins,  and  the  sails 
from  the  same  material.  Many  ships  were  wrecked,  but  this 
did  not  frighten  adventurous  merchants. 

Few  of  these  voyages  were  pushed  farther  than  the  Aleu- 
tian islands.  The  natives  were  hostile  and  killed  a  fair  pro- 
portion of  the  Russian  explorers.  In  1781  a  few  merchants 
of  Kamchatka  arranged  a  company  with  a  view  to  developing 
commerce  in  Russian  America.  They  equipped  several  ships, 
formed  a  settlement  at  Kodiak  and  conducted  an  extensive 
and  profitable  business.  Their  agents  treated  the  natives 
5 


66 


A   MONOPOLY   IN   RUSSIAN  AMERICA. 


with  great  cruelty,  and  so  bad  was  their  conduct  that  the 
emperor  Paul  revoked  their  privileges. 

A  new  company  was  formed  and  chartered  in  July,  1779, 
under  the  title  of  the  Russian-American  Company.  It  suc- 
ceeded the  old  concern,  and  absorbed  it  into  its  organization. 

The  Russian-American  Company  had  its  chief  office  in  St. 
Petersburg,  where  the  Directors  formed  a  kind  of  high  court 
of  appeal.  It  was  authorized  to  explore  and  place  under  con- 
trol of  the  crown  all  the  territories  of  North-Western  Ame- 
rica not  belonging  to  any  other  government.  It  was  required 
to  deal  kindly  with  the  natives,  and  endeavor  to  convert  them 
to  the  religion  of  the  empire.  It  had  the  administration  of 
the  country  and  a  commercial  monopoly  through  its  whole 
extent.  All  other  merchants  were  to  be  excluded,  no  matter 
what  their  nationality.  At  one  time  so  great  was  the  jealousy 
of  the  Company's  officers  that  no  foreign  ship  was  allowed 
within  twenty  miles  of  the  coast. 

The  Imperial  Government  required  that  the  chief  officer 
of  the  company  should  be  commissioned  in  the  service  of  the 
crown,  and  detailed  to  the  control  of  the  American  Territory. 
His  residence  was  at  Sitka,  to  which  the  principal  post  was 
removed  from  Kodiak.  In  the  early  history  of  the  Company 
there  were  many  encounters  with  the  natives,  the  severest 
battle  taking  place  on  the  present  site  of  Sitka.  The  natives 
had  a  fort  there,  and  were  only  driven  from  it  after  a  long 
and  obstinate  fight.  The  first  colony  that  settled  at  Sitka 
was  driven  away,  and  all  traces  of  the  Russian  occupation 
were  destroyed.  After  a  few  years  of  conflict,  peace  was  de- 
clared, and  trade  became  prosperous.  The  Company  occu- 
pied Russian  America  and  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  pushed 
its  traffic  to  the  Arctic  Ocean.  It  established  posts  on  the 
Kurile  Islands,  in  Kamchatka,  and  along  the  coast  of  the 
Ohotsk  Sea.  It  built  churches,  employed  priests,  and  was 
quite  successful  in  converting  the  natives  to  Christianity. 

Having  a  monopoly  of  trade  and  being  the  law  giver  to  the, 
natives,  the  Company  had  things  in  pretty  much  its  own  way. 
The  governor  at  Sitka  was  the  autocrat  of  all  the  American 


CLOSING   OF  BUSINESS. 


61 


Russians.  There  was  no  appeal  from  his  decision  except  to 
the  Directory  at  St.  Petersburg,  which  was  about  as  accessi- 
ble as  the  moon.  The  natives  were  reduced  to  a  condition 
of  slavery ;  they  were  compelled  to  devote  the  best  part  of 
their  time  to  the  company's  labor,  and  the  accounts  were  so 
managed  as  to  keep  them  always  in  debt. 

Alexander  BaranofF  was  the  first  governor,  and  continued 
more  than  twenty  years  in  power.  He  managed  affairs  to 
his  own  taste,  paying  little  regard  to  the  wishes  of  the  Direc- 
tory, or  even  of  the  Emperor,  when  they  conflicted  with  his 
own.  The  Russians  in  the  company's  employ  were  Promush- 
leniks,  or  adventurers,  enlisted  in  Siberia  for  a  term  of  years. 
They  were  soldiers,  sailors,  hunters,  fishermen,  or  mechanics, 
according  to  the  needs  of  the  service.  Their  condition  was 
little  better  than  that  of  the  natives  they  held  in  subjection. 
The  territory  was  divided  into  districts,  each  under  an  officer 
who  reported  to  the  Chief  at  Sitka. 

The  Directory  was  not  troubled  so  long  as  profits  were 
large,  but  the  government  had  suspicions  that  the  Company's 
reign  was  oppressive.  An  exploring  expedition  under  Ad- 
miral Krusenstern  visited  the  North  Pacific  in  1805  ;  the  re- 
ports of  the  Admiral  exposed  many  abuses  and  led  to  changes. 
A  more  rigid  supervision  followed,  and  produced  much  good. 
The  government  insisted  upon  appointing  officers  of  integrity 
and  humanity  to  the  chief  place  at  Sitka. 

For  many  years  the  Company  prospered.  In  1812  it 
founded  the  colony  of  Ross,  on  the  coast  of  California,  and 
a  few  years  later  prepared  to  dispute  the  right  of  the  Spanish 
Governor  to  occupy  that  region.  The  natives  were  every- 
where peaceable,  and  the  dividends  satisfied  the  stockholders. 
The  slaughter  of  the  fur-bearing  animals  was  injudiciously 
conducted,  and  led  to  a  great  decrease  of  revenue.  The  last 
dividend  of  importance  (12  per  cent.)  was  in  1853.  After 
that  year  misfortune  seemed  to  follow  the  Company.  Its 
trade  was  greatly  reduced,  partly  by  the  diminished  fur  pro- 
duction and  partly  by  the  illicit  traffic  of  independent  vessels 
along  the  coast.    Several  ships  were  lost,  one  in  1865,  with 


68 


EXPLORATION   OF  ALASKA. 


a  valuable  cargo  of  furs.  In  1866  the  Company's  stock,  from 
'  a  nominal  value  of  150,  had  fallen  to  about  80,  and  the  Com- 
pany was  even  obliged  to  accept  an  annual  subsidy  of  200,000 
roubles  from  the  Government.  So  late  as  February,  1867,  it 
received  a  loan  of  1,000,000  roubles  from  the  Imperial  Bank. 
Probably  a  few  years  more  would  have  seen  the  total  extinc- 
tion of  the  Company,  and  the  reversion  of  all  its. rights  and 
expenses  to  the  Crown. 

In  1866  the  fleet  of  the  Russian-American  Company  com- 
prised two  sea  steamers,  six  ships,  two  brigs,  one  schooner, 
and  several  smaller  craft  for  coasting  and  inland  service. 
During  the  Crimean  war  the  Company's  property  was  made 
neutral  on  condition  of  its  taking  no  part  in  hostilities.  Two 
of  its  ships  were  captured  and  burned  for  an  alleged  violation 
of  neutrality. 

The  Company  leased  a  portion  of  its  territory  to  the  Hud- 
son Bay  Company,  and  allowed  it  to  establish  hunting  and 
trading  posts.  A  strip  of  land  bordering  the  ocean  was  thus 
in  English  hands,  and  gave  access  to  a  wide  region  beyond 
the  Coast  Mountains.  Not  content  with  what  was  leased,  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  deliberately  seized  a  locality  on  the 
Yukon  river  when  it  had  no  right.  It  built  Fort  Yukon  and 
secured  much  of  the  interior  trade  of  Russian  America. 

When  our  Secretary  of  State  purchased  the  Emperor's  title 
to  the  western  coast  of  America,  there  were  various  opinions 
respecting  the  sagacity  of  the  transaction.  No  one  could  say 
what  was  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  country,  either  actual  or 
prospective.  The  Company  never  gave  much  attention  to 
scientific  matters. 

The  Russian  government  had  made  some  explorations  to 
ascertain  the  character  and  extent  of  the  rivers,  mountains, 
plains,  and  swamps  that  form  the  country.  In  1841  Lieuten- 
ant Zagoyskin  commenced  an  examination  of  the  country 
bordering  the  rivers,  and  continued  it  for  two  years.  He 
traced  the  course  of  the  Kuskokvim  and  the  lower  portions 
of  the  Yukon,  or  Kvikpak.  His  observations  were  chiefly 
confined  to  the  rivers  and  the  country  immediately  bordering 


RESOURCES   OF   THE  COUNTRY. 


69 


them.  He  made  no  discoveries  of  agricultural  or  mineral 
wealth.  Fish  and  deer-meat,  with  berries,  formed  the  food 
of  the  natives,  while  furs  were  their  only  articles  of  trade. 

Russian  America  is  of  great  extent,  superficially.  It  is 
agreeably  diversified  with  mountains,  hills,  rolling  country, 
and  table  land,  with  a  liberal  amount  of  pereval  or  undulating 
swamp.  In  the  northern  portion  there  is  timber  scattered 
along  the  rivers  and  on  the  mountain  slopes ;  but  the  trees 
and  their  quantity  are  alike  small.  In  the  southern  parts 
there  are  forests  of  large  trees,  that  will  be  valuable  when 
Oregon  and  Washington  are  exhausted.  Along  the  coast 
there  are  many  bays  and  harbors,  easy  of  access  and  well 
sheltered.  Sitka  has  a  magnificent  harbor,  never  frozen  or 
obstructed  with  ice. 

Gold  is  known  to  exist  in  several  localities.  A  few  placer 
mines  have  been  opened  on  the  Stikeen  river,  but  no  one 
knows  the  extent  of  the  auriferous  beds,  in  the  absence  of  all 
'  prospecting '  data.  I  do  not  believe  gold  mining  will  ever 
be  found  profitable  in  Russian  America.  The  winters  are 
long  and  cold,  and  the  snows  are  deep.  The  working  season 
is  very  short,  and  in  many  localities  on  the  mainland  '  ground 
ice'  is  permanent  at  slight  depths.  Veins  of  copper  have 
been  found  near  the  Yukon,  but  so  far  none  that  would  pay 
for  developing. 

Building  stone  is  abundant,  and  so  is  ice.  Neither  is  of 
much  value  in  commerce. 

The  fur  trade  was  the  chief  source  of  the  Company's  rev- 
enue. The  principal  fur-bearing  animals  are  the  otter,  seal, 
beaver,  marten,  mink,  fox,  and  a  few  others.  There  is  a  lit- 
tle trade  in  walrus  teeth,  mammoth  tusks,  whalebone,  and 
oil.  The  rivers  abound  in  fish,  of  which  large  quantities  are 
annually  salted  and  sent  to  the  Pacific  markets.  The  fisher- 
ies along  the  coast  are  valuable  and  of  the  same  character  as 
those  on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland. 

Agriculture  is  limited  to  a*few  garden  vegetables.  There 
are  no  fruit  trees,  and  no  attempts  have  thus  far  been  made 
to  introduce  them. 


70 


THE   VALUE   OF  ALASKA. 


The  number  of  native  inhabitants  is  unknown,  as  no  cen- 
sus has  ever  been  taken.  I  have  heard  it  estimated  all  the 
way  from  twenty  to  sixty  thousand.  The  island  and  sea 
coast  inhabitants  are  of  the  Esquimaux  type,  while  those  of 
the  interior  are  allied  to  the  North  American  Indians.  The 
explorers  for  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  found 
them  friendly,  but  not  inclined  to  labor.  Some  of  the  natives 
left  their  hunting  at  its  busiest  season  to  assist  an  exploring 
party  in  distress. 

The  change  of  rulers  will  prove  a  misfortune  to  the  abo- 
riginal. Very  wisely  the  Russian  American  Company  pro- 
hibited intoxicating  liquors  in  all  dealings  with  the  natives. 
The  contraband  stuff  could  only  be  obtained  from  indepen- 
dent trading  ships,  chiefly  American.  With  the  opening  of 
the  country  to  our  commerce,  whisky  has  been  abundant  and 
accessible  to  everybody.  The  native  population  will  rapidly 
diminish,  and  its  decrease  will  be  accompanied  by  a  falling 
off  in  the  fur  product.  Our  government  should  rigidly  con- 
tinue the  prohibitory  law  as  enforced  by  the  Russian  officials. 

The  sale  of  his  American  property  was  an  excellent  trans- 
action on  the  part  of  the  Emperor.  The  country  brought  no 
revenue  worth  the  name,  and  threatened  to  be  an  expensive 
ornament  in  coming  years.  It  required  a  sea  voyage  to  reach 
it,  and  was  upon  a  continent  which  Russia  does  not  aspire  to 
control.  It  had  no  strategic  importance  in  the  Muscovite 
policy,  and  was  better  out  of  the  empire  than  in  it. 

The  purchase  by  ourselves  may  or  may  not  prove  a  finan- 
cial success.  Thus  far  its  developments  have  not  been  prom- 
ising. When  the  country  has  been  thoroughly  examined,  it 
is  possible  we  may  find  stores  of  now  unknown  wealth.  Po- 
litically the  acquisition  is  more  important.  The  possession 
of  a  large  part  of  the  Pacific  coast,  indented  with  many  bays 
and  harbors,  is  a  matter  of  moment  in  view  of  our  national 
ambition.  The  American  eagle  can  scream  louder  since  its 
cage  has  been  enlarged,  and  if  any  man  attempts  to  haul 
down  that  noble  bird,  scoop  him  from  the  spot. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


COLONEL  BULKLEY  determined  to  sail  on  the  6th  of 
August  for  Anadyr  Bay,  and  ordered  the  Yariag  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  Amoor  by  way  of  Ghijiga.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  corvette  changed  her  moorings  and  shook  a  reef  from  her 
telescopic  smoke  stack,  and  at  nine  o'clock  I  bade  adieu  to 
the  Wright  and  went  on  board  the  Yariag,  to  which  I  was 
welcomed  by  Capt.  Lund,  according  to  the  Russian  custom, 
and  quartered  in  the  room  specially  designed  for  the  use  of 
the  Admiral.  The  ladies  were  on  the  nearest  point  of  the 
beach,  and  just  before  our  departure  the  Captain  and  most  of 
his  officers  paid  them  a  farewell  visit.  Seizing  the  tow  line 
of  the  Danzig,  which  we  were  to  take  to  sea,  we  steamed 
from  the  harbor  into  the  Pacific,  followed  by  the  cheers  of  all 
on  board  the  Wright  and  the  waving  of  ladies'  handkerchiefs 
till  lost  in  the  distance.  We  desired  to  pass  the  fourth,  or 
Amphitrite,  channel  of  the  Kurile  Islands  ;  the  weather  was 
so  thick  that  we  could  not  see  a  ship's  length  in  any  direction, 
and  all  night  men  stood  with  axes  ready  to  cut  the  Danzig's 
tow  line  in  case  any  sudden  danger  should  appear.  The  fog 
lifted  just  as  we  neared  the  channel,  and  we  had  a  clear  view 
on  all  sides. 

We  cast  off  the  Danzig  when  fairly  out  of  the  Pacific. 
During  the  two  days  the  Yariag  had  her  in  tow  we  maintained 
communication  by  means  of  a  log  line  and  a  junk  bottle  care- 
fully sealed.  Casting  our  bottle  on  the  waters,  we  allowed  it 
to  drift  along  side  the  Danzig,  where  it  could  be  fished  up 
and  opened.    Answers  were  returned  in  the  same  mail  pouch. 

(71) 


72 


THE   VARIAG   AND   HER  CREW. 


One  response  was  in  liquid  form,  and  savored  of  gin  cocktail, 
fabricated  by  the  American  captain. 

An  hour  after  dropping  the  Danzig  we  stopped  our  engines 
and  prepared  to  run  under  sail.  The  whole  crew  was  called 
on.  deck  to  hoist  out  the  screw,  a  mass  of  copper  weighing 
twenty-five  thousand  pounds,  and  set  in  a  frame  raised  or 
lowered  like  a  window  sash.  With  strong  ropes  and  the 
power  of  three  hundred  men,  the  frame  and  its  contents  were 
lifted  out  of  water,  and  the  Variag  became  a  sailing  ship. 
The  Russian  government  is  more  economical  than  our  own  in 
running  ships  of  war.  Whenever  possible,  sails  are  used  in- 
stead of  steam.  A  few  years  ago  a  Russian  Admiral  was 
transferred  from  active  to  retired  service  because  he  burned 
too  much  coal. 

The  Variag  was  2100  tons  burthen,  and  carried  seventeen 
guns,  with  a  crew  of  306  men.  She  was  of  the  fleet  that 
visited  New  York  in  1863,  and  her  officers  recounted  many 
pleasant  reminiscences  of  their  stay  in  the  United  States. 
While  wintering  in  Japanese  waters  she  was  assigned  to  assist 
the  telegraph  enterprise,  and  reported  as  soon  as  possible  at 
Petropavlovsk ;  but  the  only  service  demanded  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor  by  way  of  Ghijiga  and 
Ohotsk. 

The  officers  of  the  Variag  were,  a  captain,  a  commander, 
four  lieutenants,  six  sub-lieutenants,  an  officer  of  marines 
with  a  cadet,  a  lieutenant  of  naval  artillery,  two  sailing  mas- 
ters, two  engineers,  a  surgeon,  a  paymaster,  and  a  priest. 
As  near  as  I  could  ascertain,  their  pay,  including  allowances, 
was  about  three-fourths  that  of  American  officers  of  similar 
grades.  They  received  three  times  as  much  at  sea  as  when 
awaiting  orders,  and  this  fact  led  them  to  seek  constant  ser- 
vice. In  the  ward  room  they  read,  wrote,  talked,  smoked, 
and  could  play  any  games  of  amusement  except  cards.  Card 
playing  is  strictly  forbidden  by  the  Russian  naval  regulations. 

The  sailors  on  the  corvette  were  robust  and  powerful  fel- 
lows, with  appetites  to  frighten  a  hotel  keeper.  Russian 
sailors  from  the  interior  of  the  empire  are  very  liable  to 


NAVAL   BILL   OF  FARE. 


73 


scurvy.  Those  from  Finland  are  the  best  for  long  voyages. 
Captain  Lund  once  told  me  the  experience  of  a  Russian  ex- 
pedition of  five  ships  upon  a  long  cruise.  One  ship  was  man- 
ned by  Finlanders,  and  the  others  carried  sailors  from  the  in- 
terior. The  Finlanders  were  not  attacked  with  scurvy,  but 
the  rest  suffered  severely. 

"  All  the  Russians,"  said  the  captain,  "  make  good  sailors, 
but  those  from  the  maritime  provinces  are  the  best  seamen." 

Early  in  the  voyage  it  was  interesting  to  see  the  men  at 
dinner.  Their  table  utensils  were  wooden  spoons  and  tubs, 
at  the  rate  of  ten  spoons  and  one  tub  to  every  ten  men.  A 
piece  of  canvas  upon  the  deck  received  the  tub,  which  gen- 
erally contained  soup.  With  their  hats  off,  the  men  dined 
leisurely  and  amicably.  Soup  and  bread  were  the  staple  ar- 
ticles of  food.  Cabbage  soup  (schee)  is  the  national  diet  of 
Russia,  from  the  peasant  up  to  the  autocrat.  Several  times 
on  the  voyage  we  had  soup  on  the  captain's  table  from  the 
supply  prepared  for  the  crew,  and  I  can  testify  to  its  excel- 
lence. The  food  of  the  sailors  was  carefully  inspected  before 
being  served.  When  the  soup  was  ready,  the  cook  took  a 
bowl  of  it,  with  a  slice  of  bread  and  a  clean  spoon,  and  de- 
livered the  whole  to  the  boatswain.  From  the  boatswain  it 
went  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and  from  him  to  the  chief 
officer,  who  delivered  it  to  the  captain.  The  captain  carefully 
examined  and  tasted  the  soup.  If  unobjectionable,  the  bowl 
was  returned  to  the  galley  and  the  dinner  served  at  once. 

A  sailor's  ration  in  the  Russian  navy  is  more  than  sufficient 
for  an  ordinary  appetite  and  digestion.  The  grog  ration  is 
allowed,  and  the  boatswain's  call  to  liquid  refreshment  is 
longer  and  shriller  than  for  any  other  duty.  At  the  grog  tub 
the  sailor  stands  with  uncovered  head  while  performing  the 
ceremonial  abhorred  of  Good  Templars.  As  of  old  in  our 
navy,  grog  is  stopped  as  a  punishment.  The  drink  ration 
can  be  entirely  commuted  and  the  food  ration  one  half,  but 
not  more.  Many  sailors  on  the  Variag  practiced  total  abstin- 
ence at  sea,  and  as  the  grog  had  been  purchased  in  Japan  at 
very  high  cost,  the  commutation  money  was  considerable. 


74      A   REMINISCENCE   OP  PETER   THE  GREAT. 

Commutation  is  regulated  according  to  the  price  of  the  arti- 
cles where  the  ship  was  last  supplied. 

I  was  told  that  the  sailor's  pay,  including  ordinary  allow- 
ances, is  about  a  hundred  roubles  a  year.  The  sum  is  not 
munificent,  but  probably  the  Muscovite  mariner  is  no  more 
economical  than  the  American  one.  In  his  liberty  on  shore 
he  will  get  as  drunk  as  the  oft  quoted  '  boiled  owl.'  En  pas- 
sant I  protest  against  the  comparison,  as  it  is  a  slander  upon 
the  owl. 

At  Petropavlovsk  there  was  an  amusing  fraternization  be- 
tween the  crews  of  the  Yariag  and  the  Wright.  The  Ame- 
rican sailors  were  scattered  among  the  Russians  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one  to  six.  Neither  understood  a  word  of  the 
other's  language,  and  the  mouth  and  eye  were  obliged  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  the  ear.  The  flowing  bowl  was  the  manual 
of  conversation  between  the  Russians  and  their  new  friends. 
The  Americans  attempted  to  drink  against  fearful  odds,  and 
the  result  was  unfortunate.  They  returned  sadly  intoxicated 
and  were  unfit  for  social  or  nautical  duties  until  the  next  day. 

When  the  Yariag  was  at  New  York  in  1863,  many  of  her 
sailors  were  entrapped  by  bounty-brokers.  When  sailors  were 
missing  after  liberty  on  shore,  a  search  through  the  proper 
channels  revealed  them  converted  into  American  soldiers, 
much  against  their  will.  Usually  they  were  found  at  New 
York,  but  occasionally  a  man  reached  the  front  before  he  was 
rescued.  Some  returned  to  the  ship  dressed  as  zouaves,  others 
as  artillerists ;  some  in  the  yellow  of  cavalry,  and  so  on 
through  our  various  uniforms.  Of  course  they  were  greatly  * 
jeered  by  their  comrades. 

Everyone  conversant  with  Russian  history  knows  that  Peter 
the  Great  went  to  England,  and  afterward  to  Holland,  to 
study  ship  building.  He  introduced  naval  construction  from 
those  countries,  and  brought  from  Holland  the  men  to  man- 
age his  first  ships  and  teach  his  subjects  the  art  of  navigation. 
As  a  result  of  his  enterprise,  the  principal  parts  of  a  Russian 
ship  have  English  or  Dutch  names,  some  words  being  changed 
a  little  to  adapt  them  to  Russian  pronunciation. 


CONFUSION   OF  TONGUES. 


75 


The  Dutch  navigators  exerted  great  influence  upon  the 
nautical  language  of  Russia.  To  illustrate  this  Captain  Lund 
said :  "A  Dutch  pilot  or  captain  could  come  on  my  ship  and 
his  orders  in  his  own  language  would  be  understood  by  my 
crew.  I  mean  simply  the  words  of  command,  without  ex- 
planations. On  the  other  hand,  a  Dutch  crew  could  under- 
stand my  orders  without  suspecting  they  were  Russian." 

Sitting  among  the  officers  in  the  ward-room,  I  endeavored 
to  accustom  my  ear  to  the  sound  of  the  Russian  language 
and  learn  to  repeat  the  most  needed  phrases.  I  soon  acquired 
the  alphabet,  and  could  count  up  to  any  extent ;  I  could  spell 
Russian  words  much  as  a  schoolboy  goes  through  his  4  first 
reader'  exercise,  but  was  unable  to  attain  rapid  enunciation. 
I  could  never  get  over  the  impression  that  the  Muscovite  type 
had  been  set  up  by  a  drunken  printer  who  couldn't  read. 
The  R's  looked  the  wrong  way,  the  L's  stood  bottom  upward, 
H's  became  N's,  and  C's  were  S's,  and  lower  case  and  small 
caps  were  generally  mixed  up.  The  perplexities  of  Russian 
youth  must  be  greater  than  ours,  as  they  have  thirty-six  let- 
ters in  their  alphabet  and  every  one  of  them  must  be  learned. 
A  brief  study  of  Slavonic  verbs  and  nouns  convinced  me 
they  could  never  be  acquired  grammatically  in  the  short  time 
I  proposed  remaining  in  Russia,  and  so  I  gave  them  up. 

What  a  hindrance  to  a  traveler  and  literal  man  of  the 
world  is  this  confusion  of  tongues !  There  is  no  human  being 
who  can  make  himself  verbally  understood  everywhere  on 
this  little  globe.  In  the  Russian  empire  alone  there  are  more 
than  a  hundred  spoken  languages  and  dialects.  The  emperor, 
with  all  his  erudition,  has  many  subjects  with  whom  he  is 
unable  to  converse.  What  a  misfortune  to  mankind  that  the 
Tower  of  Babel  was  ever  commenced !  The  architect  who 
planned  it  should  receive  the  execration  of  all  posterity. 

The  apartment  I  occupied  was  of  goodly  size,  and  contained 
a  large  writing  desk.  My  bed  was  parallel  to  the  keel,  and 
hung  so  that  it  could  swing  when  the  ship  rolled.  Previous 
to  my  embarkation  the  room  was  the  receptacle  of  a  quantity 
of  chronometers,  sextants,  charts,  and  other  nautical  appa- 


A   TALKATIVE  PARTITION. 


ratus.  There  were  seventeen  chronometers  in  one  box,  and 
a  few  others  lay  around  loose.  I  never  had  as  much  time  at 
my  command  before  or  since.  Twice  a  day  an  officer  came 
to  wind  these  chronometers  and  note  their  variation.  There 


could  have  ascertained  the  ship's  position  without  asking 
somebody  who  knew  it. 

The  partition  separating  me  from  the  ward-room  was  built 
after  the  completion  of  the  ship,  and  had  a  way  of  creaking 
like  a  thousand  or  more  squeaky  boots  in  simultaneous  ac- 
tion. Every  time  we  rolled,  each  board  rubbed  against  its 
neighbor  and  waked  the  echoes  of  the  cabin.  The  first  time 
I  slept  in  the  room  the  partition  seemed  talking  in  Russian, 
and  I  distinctly  remember  that  it  named  a  majority  of  the 
cities  and  many  noble  families  throughout  the  empire.  After 
the  first  night  it  was  powerless  to  disturb  me.  I  thought  it 
possible  that  on  leaving  the  ship  I  might  be  in  the  condition 
of  the  woman  whose  husband,  a  fearful  snorer,  was  suddenly 
called  from  home.  The  lady  passed  several  sleepless  nights, 
until  she  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  calling  a  servant  with  the 
coffee  mill.  The  vigorous  grinding  of  that  household  utensil 
had  the  effect  of  a  powerful  opiate. 

At  eight  o'clock  every  morning,  YakufT,  (the  Russian  for 
Jacob,)  brought  me  a  pitcher  of  water.    When  my  toilet  was 


were  ma- 


rine in- 


struments 
enough  in 
that  room 
to  supply 
a  dozen 
sea-cap- 
tains, but 
if  the  en- 
tire  lot 
had  been 
loan'd  me, 
I  never 


PLENTY  OF  TIME. 


BURIAL  AT  SEA. 


11 


over,  lie  appeared  with  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  few  cakes.  We 
conversed  in  the  beginning  with  a  sign  language,  until  I 
picked  up  enough  Russian  to  ask  for  tea,  water,  bread,  and 
other  necessary  things.    At  eleven  we  had  breakfast  in  the 


RUSSIAN   OFFICERS  AT  MESS. 


captain's  cabin,  where  we  discussed  steaks,  cutlets,  tea,  and 
cigars,  until  nearly  noon.  Dinner  at  six  o'clock  was  opened 
with  the  never  failing  zakushka,  or  lunch,  the  universal  pre- 
parative of  the  empire,  and  closed  with  tea  and  cigars.  At 
eight  o'clock  tea  was  served  again.  After  it,  any  one  who 
chose  could  partake  of  the  cup  which  cheers  and  inebriates. 

One  morning  during  my  voyage  a  sailor  died.  The  ocean 
burial  occurred  on  the  following  day,  and  was  conducted  ac- 
cording to  the  ceremonial  of  the  Eastern  Church.  At  the 
appointed  time,  I  went  with  Captain  Lund  to  the  place  of 
worship,  between  decks.  The  corpse  was  in  a  canvas  coffin, 
its  head  and  breast  being  visible.  The  coffin,  partially  cov- 
ered with  the  naval  ensign,  lay  on  a  wide  plank  about  two 


78 


RUNNING  IN   A  FOG. 


feet  above  the  deck.  At  its  head  the  priest  was  reading  the 
burial  service,  while  near  him  there  was  a  group  of  sailors 
forming  the  choir.  Captain  Lund  and  several  officers  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  coffin,  each  holding  a  burning  taper. 

The  service  lasted  about  twenty  minutes,  and  consisted  of 
reading  by  the  priest  and  responses  by  the  choir.  The  censer 
was  repeatedly  swung,  as  in  Catholic  ceremonials,  the  priest 
bowing  at  the  same  time  toward  the  sacred  picture.  Simul- 
taneously all  the  candles  were  extinguished,  and  then  several 
men  advanced  and  kissed  a  small  cross  lying  upon  the  coffin. 
The  priest  read  a  few  lines  from  a  written  paper  and  placed 
it  with  the  cross  on  the  breast  of  the  corpse.  The  coffin  was 
then  closed  and  carried  upon  the  plank  to  the  stern  of  the 
ship. 

After  a  final  chant  by  the  choir,  one  end  of  the  plank  was 
lifted,  and  a  single  splash  in  the  water  showed  where  the 
body  went  down.  During  the  service  the  flag  floated  at  half 
mast.  It  was  soon  lowered  amid  appropriate  music,  which 
ended  the  burial  at  sea. 

On  the  third  day  after  leaving  the  Pacific  we  were  shrouded 
in  fog,  but  with  it  we  had  a  fine  southerly  breeze  that  carried 
us  rapidly  on  our  course.  The  fog  was  so  dense  that  we  ob- 
tained no  observation  for  four  days,  but  so  accurate  was  the 
sailing  master's  computation  that  the  difference  between  our 
observed  and  estimated  positions  was  less  than  two  miles. 

When  the  fog  rose  we  were  fairly  in  Ghijiga  Bay,  a  body 
of  water  shaped  like  a  narrow  V.  Sharp  eyes  looking  ahead 
discovered  a  vessel  at  anchor,  and  all  hoped  it  was  the  Clara 
Bell.  As  we  approached  she  developed  into  a  barque,  and 
gave  us  comfort,  till  her  flag  completed  our  delight.  We 
threw  the  lead  and  began  looking  for  anchorage. 

Nine,  eight,  seven  fathoms  were  successively  reported,  and 
for  some  minutes  the  depth  remained  at  six  and  a  half.  A 
mile  from  the  Clara  Bell  we  dropped  anchor,  the  ship  tremb- 
ling from  stem  to  stern  as  the  huge  chain  ran  through  the 
hawse-hole.    We  were  at  the  end  of  a  nine  days  voyage. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


E  were  fifteen  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Ghijiga  river, 
the  shoals  forbidding  nearer  approach.  The  tide 
rises  twenty-two  feet  in  Ghijiga  Bay,  and  to  reach  the  light- 
house and  settlement  near  the  river,  even  with  small  boats, 
it  is  necessary  to  go  with  the  tide.  We  learned  that  Major 
Abasa,  of  the  Telegraph  service,  was  at  the  light-house  await- 
ing our  arrival,  and  that  we  must  start  before  midnight  to 
reach  the  landing  at  the  proper  time. 

Captain  Lund  ordered  a  huge  box  filled  with  provisions  and 
other  table  ware,  and  threw  in  a  few  bottles  of  wine  as  bal- 
last. I  was  too  old  a  traveler  to  neglect  my  blankets  and 
rubber  coat,  and  found  that  AnossofF  was  as  cautious  as  my- 
self. 

We  prolonged  our  tea-drinking  to  ten  o'clock  and  then 
started.  Descending  the  ship's  side  was  no  easy  matter.  It 
was  at  least  three  feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  gang-way  lad- 
der to  the  water,  and  the  boat  was  dancing  on  the  chopping 
sea  like  a  pea  on  a  hot  shovel.  Captain  Lund  descended 
first,  followed  by  AnossofF.  Then  I  made  my  effort,  and  be- 
hind me  was  a  grim  Cossack.  Just  as  I  reached  the  lowest 
step  a  wave  swung  the  boat  from  the  ship  and  left  me  hang- 
ing over  the  water.  The  Cossack,  unmindful  of  things  below, 
was  backing  steadily  toward  my  head.  I  could  not  think  of 
the  Russian  phrase  for  the  occasion  and  was  in  some  dilemma 
how  to  act.  I  shouted  £  Look  out '  with  such  emphasis  that 
the  man  understood  me  and  halted  with  his  heavy  boots  about 
two  inches  above  my  face.  Clinging  to  the  side  ropes  and 
watching  my  opportunity,  I  jumped  at  the  right  moment  and 

(79) 


80 


A   NOCTURNAL  ADVENTURE. 


happily  hit  the  boat.  The  Cossack  jumped  into  the  lap  of  a 
sailor  and  received  a  variety  of  epithets  for  his  carelessness. 
There  are  fourteen  ways  in  the  Russian  language  of  calling 

a  man  a  fool,  and  I  think  all  of  them  were  used. 

Wind  and  tide  opposed  each  other  and  tossed  us  rather  un- 
comfortably.   The  waves  breaking  over  the  bow  saturated 


ASCENDING  THE  BAY. 


the  Cossack  and  sprinkled  some  of  the  sailors.  At  the  stern 
we  managed  to  protect  ourselves,  though  we  caught  occas- 
ionally a  few  drops  of  spray.  Wrapped  in  my  overcoat  and 
holding  a  bear-skin  on  my  knees,  I  studied  the  summer  night 
in  that  high  northern  latitude.  At  midnight  it  seemed  like 
day  break,  and  I  half  imagined  we  had  wrongly  calculated 
the  hours  and  were  later  than  we  supposed.  Between  sunset 
and  sunrise  the  twilight  crept  along  the  horizon  from  Occident 
to  Orient.  Further  north  the  inhabitants  of  the  Arctic  circle 
were  enjoying  the  light  of  their  long  summer  day.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  bleak  night  of  cold  and  darkness  that  stretches 
with  faint  glimmerings  of  dawn  through  nearly  half  the  year. 


PECULIARITIES   OF  GHIJIGA. 


81 


The  shores  of  the  bay  were  high  perpendicular  banks, 
sharply  cut  like  the  bluffs  at  Vicksburg.  There  are  several 
head-lands,  but  none  project  far  enough  to  form  harbors  be- 
hind them.  The  bottom  furnishes  good  anchoring  ground, 
but  the  bay  is  quite  open  to  southerly  winds. 

Captain  Lund  dropped  his  chin  to  his  breast  and  slept 
soundly.  Anossoff  raised  his  coat  collar  and  drew  in  his 
head  like  a  tortoise  returning  into  his  shell,  but  with  all  his 
efforts  he  did  not  sleep.  I  was  wakeful  and  found  that  time 
dragged  slowly.  The  light-house  had  no  light  and  needed 
none,  as  the  darkness  was  far  from  profound.  In  approach- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  river  we  discovered  a  cluster  of  build- 
ings, and  close  at  hand  two  beacons,  like  crosses,  marking 
the  direction  of  the  channel. 

There  was  a  little  surf  breaking  along  the  beach  as  our 
keel  touched  the  ground.  Our  blankets  came  dripping  from 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  my  satchel  had  taken  water 
enough  to  spoil  my  paper  collars  and  a  dozen  cigars.  My 
greatest  calamity  on  that  night  was  the  sudden  and  persistent 
stoppage  of  my  watch.  An  occurrence  of  little  moment  in 
New  York  or  London  was  decidedly  unpleasant  when  no 
trusty  watchmaker  lived  within  four  thousand  miles. 

Major  Abasa  and  the  Ispravnik  of  Ghijiga  escorted  us  from 
the  landing  to  their  quarters,  where  we  soon  warmed  ourselves 
with  hot  tea,  and  I  took  opportunity  and  a  couple  of  bear- 
skins and  went  to  sleep.  Late  in  the  day  we  had  a  dinner 
of  soup,  pork  and  peas,  reindeer  meat,  and  berry  pudding. 
The  deer's  flesh  was  sweet  and  tender,  with  a  flavor  like  that 
of  the  American  elk. 

In  this  part  of  Siberia  there  are  many  wide  plains  (tundras) 
covered  with  moss  and  destitute  of  trees.  The  blueberry 
grows  there,  but  is  less  abundant  than  the  "  maroska,"  a  berry 
that  I  never  saw  in  America.  It  is  yellow  when  ripe,  has  an 
acid  flavor,  and  resembles  the  raspberry  in  shape  and  size. 
We  ate  the  maroska  in  as  many  forms  as  it  could  be  prepared, 
and  they  told  us  that  it  grew  in  Scotland,  Scandinavia,  and 
Northern  Russia. 
6 


82 


CENSUS   RETURNS   IN  ASIA. 


The  ordinary  residents  at  the  mouth  of  Ghijiga  river  were 
the  pilot  and  his  family,  with  three  or  four  Cossacks  to  row 
boats  on  the  bay.  The  natives  of  the  vicinity  came  there 
occasionally,  but  none  were  permanent  citizens.  The  arrival 
of  the  Variag  and  Clara  Bell  gave  unusual  activity  to  the  set- 
tlement, and  the  Ispravnik  might  have  returned  a  large  popu- 


TAKING  THE  CENSUS. 


lation  had  he  imitated  the  practice  of  those  western  towns 
that  take  their  census  during  the  stay  of  a  railway  train  or 
a  steamboat.  There  was  once,  according  to  a  rural  historian, 
an  aspiring  politician  in  Tennessee  who  wanted  to  go  to  Con- 
gress. There  were  not  inhabitants  enough  in  his  district  to 
send  him,  and  so  he  placed  a  couple  of  his  friends  at  the  rail- 
way station  to  take  the  names  of  passengers  as  they  visited 
the  refreshment  saloon  and  entered  or  left  the  depot.  In  a 
short  time  the  requisite  constituency  was  secured  and  sworn 


PRIMITIVE   LIFE   AND  CUSTOMS. 


83 


LIGHT-HOUSE  AT  GHIJIGA. 


to,  so  that  the  aspirant  for  official  honor  accomplished  the 
wish  of  his  heart. 

The  light-house  on  the  promontory  is  a  hexagonal  edifice 
ten  feet  in  diameter  and  height ;  it  is  of  logs  and  has  a  flat 
top  covered  with  dirt,  whereon  to  kindle  a  fire.  The  interior 
is  entered  by  a  low  door,  and  I  found  it  floored  with  two 
sticks  o  f 
wood  and 
a  m  u  d 
puddle. 
One  could 
reach  the 
top  by 
climbing 
a  slop- 
ing pole 
notched 
like  an 
American 

fence-post.  The  pilot  resides  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  and  is 
expected  to  visit  this  beacon  daily.  A  cannon,  old  enough 
to  have  served  at  Pultava,  stands  near  the  light-house,  in  a 
condition  of  utter  helplessness. 

The  houses  were  furnished  quite  primitively.  Beds  were 
of  bearskins  and  blankets,  and  the  floor  was  the  only  bed- 
stead. There  were  rustic  tables  of  hewn  boards,  and  benches 
without  backs.  In  a  storehouse  there  was  a  Fairbanks'  scale, 
somewhat  worn  and  rusty,  and  I  found  a  tuneless  melodeon 
from  Boston  and  a  coffee  mill  from  New  York. 

The  town  of  Ghijiga  is  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  twelve 
miles  from  the  light-house,  and  the  route  thither  was  overland 
or  by  water,,  at  one's  choice.  Overland  there  was  a  footpath 
crossing  a  hill  and  a  wet  tundra.  The  journey  by  water  was 
upon  the  Ghijiga  river ;  five  versts  of  rowing  and  thirteen  of 
towing  by  men  or  dogs.  As  it  was  impossible  to  hire  a  horse, 
I  repudiated  the  overland  route  altogether,  and  tried  a  brief 
journey  on  the  river,  but  could  not  reach  the  town  and  return 


84 


DOG   TRAVEL   BY  WATER. 


in  time  for  certain  engagements.  Ghijiga  lias  a  population 
of  less  than  three  hundred,  and  closely  resembles  Petropav- 
lovsk.  Two  or  three  foreign  merchants  go  there  annually 
with  goods  to  exchange  for  furs  which  the  Russian  traders 
gather.  The  inhabitants  are  Russians  or  half  breeds,  the 
former  predominating.  The  half  breeds  are  said  to  possess 
all  the  vices  of  both  races  with  the  virtues  of  neither. 

Mr.  Bilzukavitch,  the  Ispravnik  of  Ghijiga,  was  a  native  of 
Poland,  and  governed  seventy-two  thousand  square  miles  of 
territory,  with  a  population  of  sixteen  hundred  taxed  males. 
His  military  force  comprised  thirty  Cossacks  with  five  mus- 
kets, of  which  three  were  unserviceable.  The  native  tribes 
included  in  the  district  of  Ghijiga  are  the  Koriaks  and  Chuk- 
chees  ;  the  Koriaks  readily  pay  tribute  and  acknowledge  the 
Russian  authority,  but  the  Chukchees  are  not  yet  fairly  sub- 
dued. They  were  long  in  open  war  with  the  Russians,  and 
though  peace  is  now  established,  many  of  them  are  not  tribu- 
tary. Those  who  visit  the  Russian  towns  are  compelled  to 
pay  tribute  and  become  Imperial  subjects  before  selling  or 
purchasing  goods.  The  Ispravnik  is  an  artist  of  unusual 
merit,  as  evinced  by  an  album  of  his  sketches  illustrating  life 
in  Northern  Siberia.  Some  of  them  appeared  like  steel  en- 
gravings, and  testified  to  the  skill  and  patience  of  the  man 
who  made  them. 

On  my  second  day  at  Ghijiga  I  tried  a  river  journey  with 
a  dog  team.  The  bottom  of  the  boat  was  on  the  6  dug-out' 
principle,  and  the  sides  were  two  planks  meeting  in  sharp 
and  high  points  a,t  the  ends.  I  had  a  seat  on  some  bearskins 
on  the  plank  flooring,  and  found  it  reasonably  comfortable. 
One  man  steered  the  boat,  another  in  the  bow  managed  the 
towline,  and  a  third,  who  walked  on  land,  drove  the  dogs. 
We  had  seven  canines — three  pairs  and  a  leader — pulling 
upon  a  deerskin  towline  fastened  to  a  thole-pin.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  man  in  the  bow  to  regulate  the  towline  according 
to  circumstances.  The  dogs  were  unaccustomed  to  their 
driver,  and  balky  in  consequence.  Two  of  them  refused  to 
pull  when  we  started,  and  remained  obstinate  until  persuaded 


N 

CIVILIZED    DRESS   FOR   AN    ABORIGINAL.  85 

with  sticks.  The  driver  used  neither  reins  nor  whip,  but 
liberally  employed  the  drift  wood  along  the  banks.  Clubs 
were  trumps  in  that  day's  driving.  The  team  was  turned  to 
the  left  by  a  guttural  sound  that  no  paper  and  ink  can  de- 
scribe, and  to  the  right  by  a  rapid  repetition  of  the  word  4  ca.' 

Occasionally  the  path  changed  from  one  bank  to  the  oppo- 
site. At  such  times  we  seated  the  dogs  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat  and  ferried  them  over  the  river.  In  the  boat  they  were 
generally  quiet,  though  inclined  to  bite  each  other's  legs  at 
convenient  opportunities.  One  muddy  dog  shook  himself 
over  me ;  I  forgave  him,  but  his  driver  did  not,  the  innocent 
brute  receiving  several  blows  for  making  his  toilet  in  presence 
of  passengers. 

The  Koriaks  have  a  habit  of  sacrificing  dogs  to  obtain  a 
fortunate  fishery.  The  animals  are  hung  on  limbs  of  trees, 
and  the  sacrifice  always  includes  the  best.  Major  Abasa 
urged  them  to  give  only  their  worthless  dogs  to  the  evil  spirit, 
assuring  them  the  fishery  would  result  just  as  well,  and  they 
promised  to  try  the  experiment.  Dogs  were  scarce  and  ex- 
pensive in  consequence  of  a  recent  canine  epidemic.  Only 
a  day  before  our  arrival  three  dogs  developed  hydrophobia 
and  were  killed. 

The  salmon  fishery  was  very  poor  in  1866,  and  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  Ghijiga  district  were  relying  upon  catching  seals 
in  the  autumn.  At  Kolymsk,  on  the  Kolyma  river,  the  au- 
thorities require  every  man  to  catch  one-tenth  more  than 
enough  for  his  own  use.  This  surplus  is  placed  in  a  public 
storehouse  and  issued  in  case  of  famine.  It  is  the  rule  to 
keep  a  three  years  supply  always  at  hand.  Several  seasons 
of  scarcity  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  plan. 

We  were  frequently  visited  by  the  natives  from  a  Koriak 
village  near  the  light-house.  Their  dress  was  of  deer  skin, 
and  comprised  a  kotlanka,  or  frock,  pantaloons,  and  boots,  or 
leggings.  Winter  garments  are  of  deer  skin  with  its  hair  re- 
maining, but  summer  clothing  is  of  dressed  skins  alone. 
These  natives  appear  below  the  ordinary  stature,  and  their 
legs  seemed  to  me  very  small.    Ethnologists  are  divided  con- 


86 


HONESTY   OF  NATIVES. 


ccrning  the  origin  of  the  Koriaks,  some  assigning  them  to 
the  Mongol  race  and  others  to  the  Esquimaux.  The  Koriaks 
express  no  opinion  on  the  disputed  point,  and  have  none. 

Both  sexes  dress  alike,  and  wear  ornaments  of  beads  in 
their  ears.  They  have  a  curious  custom  of  shaving  the  back 
part  of  the  head,  a  la  moine.  Fashion  is  as  arbitrary  among 
the  Koriaks  as  in  Paris  or  New  York,  and  dictates  the  cut  of 
garments  and  the  style  of  hair  dressing  with  unyielding 
severity. 

Like  savages  everywhere,  these  natives  manifest  a  fondness 
for  civilized  attire.  A  party  visited  the  Clara  Bell  and  ob- 
tained some  American  clothing.  One  man  sported  a  cast-off 
suit,  in  which  he  appeared  as  uneasy  as  an  organ  grinder's 
monkey  in  a  new  doat.  Another  wore  a  sailor's  jacket  from 
the  Variag,  and  sported  the  number  4 19 '  with  manifest  pride. 
A  third  had  a  fatigue  cap,  bearing  the  letters  '  U.  S.'  in  heavy 
brass,  the  rest  of  his  costume  being  thoroughly  aboriginal. 
One  old  fellow  had  converted  an  empty  meat  can  into  a  hat, 
without  removing  the  printed  label  "  stewed  beef."  I  gave 
him  a  pair  of  dilapidated  gloves,  which  he  donned  at  once. 

The  Koriaks  are  of  two  kinds,  wandering  and  settled. 
The  wanderers  have  great  numbers  of  reindeer,  and  lead  a 
migratory  life  in  finding  pasturage  for  their  herds.  The  set- 
tled Koriaks  are  those  who  have  lost  their  deer  and  been 
forced  to  locate  where  they  can  subsist  by  fishing.  The  for- 
mer are  kind  and  hospitable  ;  the  latter  generally  the  reverse. 
Poverty  has  made  them  selfish,  as  it  has  made  many  a  white 
man.  All  are  honest  to  a  degree  unusual  among  savages. 
When  Major  Abasa  traveled  among  them  in  the  winter  of 
1865,  they  sometimes  refused  compensation  for  their  services, 
and  were  scrupulously  careful  to  guard  the  property  of  their 
guests.  Once  the  Major  purposely  left  some  trivial  articles. 
The  next  day  a  native  brought  them  forward,  and  was  greatly 
astonished  when  pay  was  offered  for  his  trouble. 

"  This  is  your  property,"  was  the  response  ;  "we  could  not 
keep  it  in  our  tents,  and  it  was  our  duty  to  bring  it  to  you." 

The  wandering  Koriaks  estimate  property  in  deer  as  our 


YOURTS   AND  BALAGANS. 


87 


Indians  count  in  horses.  It  is  only  among  the  thousands 
that  wealth  is  eminently  respectable.  Some  Koriaks  own 
ten  or  twelve  thousand  deer,  and  one  fortunate  native  is  the 
possessor  of  forty  thousand  in  his  own  name,  (O-gik-a-mu- 
tik.)  Though  the  wealthiest  of  his  tribe,  he  does  not  drive 
fast  horses,  and  never  aspired  to  a  seat  in  Congress.  How 
much  he  has  missed  of  real  life ! 

Eeindeer  form  the  circulating  medium,  and  all  values  are 
expressed  in  this  four-footed  currency.  The  animal  supplies 
nearly  every  want.  They  eat  his  meat  and  pick  his  bones, 
and  not  only  devour  the  meat,  but  the  stomach,  entrails,  and 
their  contents.  When  they  stew  the  mass  of  meat  and  half 
digested  moss,  the  stench  is  disgusting.  Captain  Kennan 
told  me  that  when  he  arrived  among  the  Koriaks  the  peculiar 
odor  made  him  ill,  and  he  slept  out  of  doors  with  the  ther- 
mometer at  —  35°  rather  than  enter  a  tent  where  cooking  was 
in  progress. 

The  Koriaks  build  their  summer  dwellings  of  light  poles 
covered  with  skin,  or 
bark.  Their  winter 
habitations  are  of  logs 
covered  with  earth  and 
partly  sunk  into  the 
ground,  the  crevices 
being  filled  with  moss. 
The  summer  dwellings 
are  called  balagans, 
and  the  winter  ones 
yourts,  but  the  latter 
name  is  generally  ap- 
plied to  both.  A  win- 
ter yourt  has  a  hole  in 
the  top,  which  serves  for  both  chimney  and  door.  The  ladder 
for  the  descent  is  a  hewn  stick,  with  holes  for  one's  feet,  and 
leans  directly  over  the  fire.  Whatever  the  outside  tempera- 
ture, the  yourt  is  suffocatingly  hot  within,  and  no  fresh  air 
can  enter  except  through  the  top.    When  a  large  fire  is  burn- 


KORIAK  YOURT. 


88 


AN   ASIATIC  WEDDING. 


ing  and  a  thick  volume  of  smoke  pours  out,  the  descent  is 
very  disagreeable.  Russians  and  other  white  men,  even 
after  long  practice,  never  attempt  it  without  a  shudder. 

The  yourt  is  generally  circular  or  oblong,  and  its  size  is 
proportioned  to  the  family  of  the  owner.  The  fire  is  in  the 
center,  and  the  sleeping  apartments  are  ranged  around  the 
walls.  These  apartments,  called  4  polags,'  are  about  six  feet 
square  and  four  or  five  high,  partitioned  with  light  poles  and 
skin  curtains.  Owing  to  the  high  temperature  the  natives 
sleep  entirely  naked.  Sometimes  in  the  coldest  nights  their 
clothing  is  hung  out  of  doors  to  rid  it  of  certain  parasites  not 
unknown  in  civilization.  Benumbed  with  frost,  the  insects 
lose  their  hold  and  fall  into  the  snow,  to  the  great  comfort  of 
those  who  nursed  and  fed  them.  The  body  of  a  Koriak,  con- 
sidered as  a  microcosm,  is  remarkably  well  inhabited. 

Captain  Kennan  gave  me  a  graphic  description  of  the  Ko- 
riak marriage  ceremonial.  The  lover  must  labor  for  the 
loved  one's  father,  not  less  than  one  nor  more  than  five  years. 
No  courtship  is  allowed  during  this  period,  and  the  young 
man  must  run  the  risk  of  his  love  being  returned.  The  term 
of  service  is  fixed  by  agreement  between  the  stern  parent  and 
the  youth. 

At  an  appointed  day  the  family  and  friends  are  assembled 
in  a  yourt,  the  old  women  being  bridesmaids.  The  bride  is 
placed  in  one  polag  and  the  bridegroom  in  the  next.  At  a 
given  signal  a  race  commences,  the  bride  leading.  Each 
must  enter  every  polag,  and  the  man  must  catch  his  prize  in 
a  specified  way  before  she  makes  the  circuit  of  the  yourt. 

The  bridesmaids,  armed  with  long  switches,  offer  every 
assistance  to  the  woman  and  equal  hindrance  to  the  man. 
For  her  they  lift  the  curtains  of  the  polags,  but  hold  them 
down  against  her  pursuer  and  pound  him  with  their  switches. 
Unless  she  stops  voluntarily  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  over- 
take her  within  the  circuit.  If  she  is  not  overtaken  the  en- 
gagement is  '  off,'  and  the  man  must  retire  or  serve  again  for 
the  privilege  of  another  love  chase.  Generally  the  pursuit  is 
successful ;  the  lover  doubtless  knows  the  temper  of  the  lovee 


A   NOVEL   KIND    OF   BALLAST.  89 

before  becoming  her  father's  apprentice.  But  coquettes  are 
not  unknown  in  Koriakdom,  and  the  pursuing  youths  are 
sometimes  left  in  the  lurch — or  the  polags. 

Should  the  lover  overtake  the  maiden  before  making  the 
circuit,  both  remain  seven  days  and  nights  in  a  polag.  Their 
food  is  given  them  under  the  curtain  during  that  period,  and 
they  cannot  emerge  for  any  purpose  whatever.  The  brides- 
maids then  perform  a  brief  but  touching  ceremonial,  and  the 
twain  are  pronounced  one  flesh. 

Northeast  of  Ghijiga  is  the  country  of  the  Chukchees,  a 
people  formerly  hostile  to  the  Koriaks.  The  feuds  are  not 
entirely  settled,  but  the  ill  feeling  has  diminished  and  both 
parties  maintain  a  dignified  reserve.  The  Chukchees  are 
hunters  and  traders,  and  have  large  herds  of  reindeer  but 
very  few  dogs.  They  are  the  most  warlike  of  these  northern 
races,  and  long  held  the  Russians  at  bay.  They  go  far  from 
shore  with  their  baydaras,  or  seal  skin  boats,  visiting  islands 
along  the  coast,  and  frequently  crossing  to  North  America. 
Their  voyages  are  of  a  mercantile  character,  the  Chukchee 
buying  at  the  Russian  towns  and  selling  his  goods  among  the 
Esquimaux. 

At  Ghijiga  I  made  a  short  voyage  in  a  baydara.  The  frame 
appeared  very  fragile,  and  the  seal  skin  covering  displayed 
several  leaks.  I  was  unwilling  to  risk  myself  twenty  feet 
from  land,  but  after  putting  me  ashore  the  Koriak  boatman 
pulled  fearlessly  into  the  bay. 

The  Chukchee  trader  has  a  crew  of  his  own  race  to  paddle 
his  light  canoe.  Occasionally  the  baydaras  are  caught  in 
storms  and  must  be  lightened.  I  have  the  authority  of  Major 
Abasa  that  in  such  case  the  merchant  keeps  his  cargo  and 
throws  overboard  his  crew.  Goods  and  furs  are  costly,  but 
men  are  cheap  and  easily  replaced.  The  crew  is  entirely 
reconciled  to  the  state  of  affairs,  and  drowns  itself  with  that 
resignation  known  only  to  pagans. 

"  But,"  I  asked,  "  do  not  the  men  object  to  this  kind  of 
jettison  ?" 

"  I  believe  not,"  was  the  major's  reply ;  "  they  are  only 


90 


WHISKY   THAT    NOBODY  DRINKS. 


discharging  their  duty  to  their  employer.  They  go  over  the 
side  just  as  they  would  step  from  an  over-laden  sledge." 

I  next  inquired  if  the  trader  did  not  first  throw  out  the 
men  to  whom  he  was  most  indebted,  but  could  not  obtain  in- 


DISCHARGING  A  DECK  LOAD. 

formation  on  that  point.  It  is  probable  that  with  an  eye  to 
business  he  disposes  promptly  of  his  creditors  and  keeps 
debtors  to  the  last.  What  a  magnificent  system  of  squaring 
accounts ! 

The  Chukchees  have  mingled  much  with  whalemen  along 
Anadyr  Bay  and  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  readily  adopt  the 
white  man's  vices.  They  drink  whisky  without  fear,  and  will 
get  very  drunk  if  permitted.  When  Captain  Macrae's  tele- 
graph party  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Anadyr  the  natives 
supposed  the  provision  barrels  were  full  of  whisky,  and  be- 
came very  importunate  for  something  to  drink.  The  captain 
made  a  mixture  of  red  pepper  and  vinegar,  which  he  palmed 
off  as  the  desired  article.  All  were  pleased  with  it,  and  the 
hotter  it  was  the  better. 

One  native  complained  that  its  great  heat  burned  the  skin 
from  his  throat  before  he  could  swallow  enough  to  secure  in- 
toxication. The  fame  of  this  whisky  was  wide-spread.  Cap- 
tain Kennan  said  he  heard  at  Anadyrsk  and  elsewhere  of  its 


REINDEER  TRAVEL. 


91 


wonderful  strength,  and  was  greatly  amused  when  he  arrived 
at  Macrae's  and  heard  the  whole  story. 

Many  of  these  natives  have  learned  English  from  whale- 
men and  speak  enough  to  be  understood.  Gov.  Bilzukuvitch 
visited  Anadyrsk  in  the  spring  of  1866,  and  met  there  a 
Chukchee  chief.  Neither  spoke  the  other's  language,  and  so 
the  governor  called  his  Koriak  servant.  The  same  dilemma 
occurred,  as  each  was  ignorant  of  the  other's  vernacular. 
There  was  an  awkward  pause  until  it  was  discovered  that 
both  Koriak  and  Chukchee  could  speak  English.  Business 
then  proceeded  without  difficulty. 

Among  the  Chukchees  a  deer  can  be  purchased  for  a  pound 
of  tobacco,  but  the  price  increases  as  one  travels  southward. 
With  the  Koriaks  it  is  four  or  five  roubles,  at  Ohotsk  ten  or 
fifteen,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  Amoor  not  often  less  than 
fifty.    South  of  the  Amoor  the  reindeer  is  not  a  native.  I 


am  inclined  to  discredit  many  stories  of  the  wonderful  swift- 
ness of  this  animal.  He  sometimes  performs  remarkable 
journeys,  but  ordinarily  he  is  outstripped  by  a  good  dog  team. 
Reindeer  have  the  advantage  of  finding  their  food  under  the 
snow,  while 

provision  /         ...  j     ~      j  ~  \ 


out  troubling  his  master.  The  American  sailors  when  they 
have  liberty  on  shore  in  these  northern  regions,  invariably  in- 
dulge in  reindeer  rides,  to  the  disgust  of  the  animals  and 


for  dogs 
must  be 
carried  on 
the  sledge 
When  turn- 
ed out  in 
winter,  the 
deer  digs 
beneath  the 
snow  and 
seeks  his 
food  with- 


mi 


REINDEER  RIDE. 


92  THE   NATIVES   AND    THE  TELEGRAPH. 

their  owners.  The  deer  generally  comes  to  a  halt  in  the  first 
twenty  yards,  and  nothing  less  than  building  a  fire  beneath 
him  can  move  him  from  his  tracks. 

There  is  a  peculiar  mushroom  in  Northeastern  Siberia  spot- 
ted like  a  leopard  and  surmounted  with  a  small  hood.  It 
grows  in  other  parts  of  Russia,  where  it  is  poisonous,  but 
among  the  Koriaks  it  is  simply  intoxicating.  When  one 
finds  a  mushroom  of  this  kind  he  can  sell  it  for  three  or  four 
reindeer.  So  powerful  is  this  fungus  that  the  fortunate  native 
who  eats  it  remains  drunk  for  several  days.  By  a  process  of 
transmission  which  I  will  not  describe,  as  it  might  offend 
fastidious  persons,  half  a  dozen  individuals  may  successively 
enjoy  the  effects  of  a  single  mushroom,  each  of  them  in  a 
less  degree  than  his  predecessor. 

Like  savages  everywhere,  these  northern  natives  are  greatly 
pleased  with  pictures  and  study  them  attentively.  I  heard 
that  several  copies  of  American  illustrated  papers  were  cir- 
culating among  the  Chukchees,  who  handled  them  with  great 
care.  There  is  a  superstitious  reverence  for  pictures  mingled 
with  childlike  curiosity.  People  possessing  no  written  lan- 
guage find  the  pictorial  representations  of  the  civilized  world 
the  nearest  approach  to  savage  hieroglyphics. 

The  telegraph  was  an  object  of  great  wonder  to  all  the  na- 
tives. In  Ghijiga  a  few  hundred  yards  of  wire  were  put  up 
in  the  spring  of  1866.  Crowds  gathered  to  see  the  cariosity, 
and  many  messages  were  exchanged  to  prove  that  the  ma- 
chine really  spoke.  At  Anadyr sk  Captain  Kennan  arranged 
a  small  battery  and  held  in  his  pocket  the  key  that  controlled 
the  circuit.  Then  the  marvel  began.  The  instrument  told 
when  persons  entered  or  left  the  room,  when  any  thing  was 
taken  from  the  table  without  permission,  or  any  impropriety 
committed.  Even  covered  with  a  piece  of  deer  skin,  it  could 
see  distinctly.  With  the  human  tendency  to  ascribe  to  the 
devil  anything  not  understood,  these  natives  looked  upon  the 
telegraph  as  supernatural.  As  it  showed  no  desire  to  harm 
them,  they  exhibited  no  fear  but  abundance  of  respect. 

The  Chukchees  and  Koriaks  are  creditable  workers  in 

I 


BURIED   IN  A   SNOW  BANK. 


93 


metals  and  ivory.  I  saw  animal  representations  rudely  but 
well  cut  in  ivory,  and  spear-heads  that  would  do  credit  to  any 
blacksmith.  Their  hunting  knives,  made  from  hoop-iron,  are 
well  fashioned,  and  some  of  the  handles  are  tastefully  inlaid 
with  copper,  brass,  and  silver.  In  trimming  their  garments 
they  are  very  skillful,  and  cut  bits  of  deerskin  into  various 
fantastic  shapes. 

At  Ghijiga  I  bought  a  kotlanka,  intending  to  wear  it  in  my 
winter  travel.  Its  sleeves  were  purposely  very  long,  and  the 
hood  had  a  wide  fringe  of  dogskin  to  shield  the  face.  I 
could  never  put  the  thing  on  with  ease,  and  ultimately  sold  it 
to  a  curiosity  hunter.  Gloves  and  mittens,  lined  with  squir- 
rel skin,  are  made  at  Ghijiga,  and  worn  in  all  the  region 
within  a  thousand  miles. 

A  great  hindrance  to  winter  travel  in  Northeastern  Siberia 
is  the  prevalence  of  poorgas,  or  snow  storms  with  wind.  On 
the  bleak  tundras  where  there  is  no  shelter,  the  poorgas  sweep 
with  pitiless  severity.  Some  last  but  a  few  hours,  with  the 
thermometer  ten  or  twenty  degrees  below  zero.  Sometimes 
the  wind  takes  up  whole  masses  of  snow  and  forms  drifts 
several  feet  deep  in  a  few  moments.  Travelers,  dogs,  and 
sledges  are  frequently  buried  out  of  sight,  and  remain  in  the 
snow  till  the  storm  is  over. 

Dogs  begin  to  howl  at  the  approach  of  a  poorga,  long  be- 
fore men  can  see  any  indication  of  it.  They  display  a  ten- 
dency to  burrow  in  the  snow  if  the  wind  is  cold  and  violent. 
Poorgas  do  not  occur  at  regular  intervals,  but  are  most  preva- 
lent in  February  and  March. 

A  few  years  ago  a  party  of  Koriaks  crossing  the  great  tun- 
dra north  of  Kamchatka  encountered  a  severe  storm.  It  was 
of  unusual  violence,  and  soon  compelled  a  halt.  Dogs  and 
men  burrowed  into  the  snow  to  wait  the  end  of  the  gale. 
Unfortunately  they  halted  in  a  wide  hollow  that,  unperceived 
by  the  party,  filled  with  a  deep  drift.  The  snow  contains  so 
much  air  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  breathe  in  it  at  a  consider- 
able depth,  and  the  accumulation  of  a  few  feet  is  not  alarm- 
ing.   Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  the  place  grew  darker,  till 


94 


LOST   IN   A  STORM. 


two  men  of  the  party  thought  it  well  to  look  outside.  Dig- 
ging to  the  surface,  the  depth  proved  much  greater  than  ex- 
pected. 

Quite  exhausted  with  their  labor,  they  gained  the  open  air, 
and  found  the  storm  had  not  ceased.  Alarmed  for  their  com- 
panions they  tried  to  reach  them,  but  the  hole  where  they 
ascended  was  completely  filled.  The  snow  drifted  rapidly, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  change  their  position  often  to  keep 
near  the  surface.  When  the  poorga  ended  they  estimated  it 
had  left  fifty  feet  of  snow  in  that  spot. 

Again  endeavoring  to  rescue  their  companions,  and  in  their 
weak  condition  finding  it  impossible,  they  sought  the  nearest 
camp.  In  the  following  summer  the  remains  of  men  and 
dogs  were  found  where  the  melting  snow  left  them.  They 
had  huddled  close  together,  and  probably  perished  from  suf- 
focation. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


E  remained  four  days  at  Ghijiga  and  then  sailed  for 
Ohotsk.  For  two  days  we  steamed  to  get  well  out 
of  the  bay,  and  then  stopped  the  engines  and  depended  upon 
canvas.  A  boy  who  once  offered  a  dog  for  sale  was  asked 
the  breed  of  the  pup. 

"He  was  a  pointer,"  replied  the  youth;  "  but  father  cut 
off  his  ears  and  tail  last  week  and  made  a  bull-dog  of  him." 

Lowering  the  chimney  and  hoisting  the  screw,  the  Variag 
became  a  sailing  ship,  though  her  steaming  propensities  re- 
mained, just  as  the  artificial  bull-dog  undoubtedly  retained 
the  pointer  instinct.  The  ship  had  an  advantage  over  the 
animal  in  her  ability  to  resume  her  old  character  at  pleasure. 

On  the  fourth  day,  during  a  calm,  we  were  surrounded  by 
sea-gulls  like  those  near  San  Francisco.  We  made  deep  sea 
soundings  and  obtained  specimens  of  the  bottom  from  depths 
of  two  or  three  hundred  fathoms.  Near  the  entrance  of 
Ghijiga  Bay  we  brought  up  coral  from  eighty  fathoms  of 
water,  and  refuted  the  theory  that  coral  grows  only  in  the 
tropics  and  at  a  depth  of  less  than  two  hundred  feet.  The 
specimens  were  both  white  and  red,  resembling  the  moss-like 
sprigs  often  seen  in  museums.  The  temperature  of  the  water 
was  47°  Fahrenheit.  Captain  Lund  told  me  coral  had  been 
found  in  the  Ohotsk  sea  in  latitude  55°  in  a  bed  of  consider- 
able extent. 

Every  day  when  calm  we  made  soundings,  which  were 
carefully  recorded  for  the  use  of  Russian  chart  makers. 
Once  we  found  that  the  temperature  of  the  bottom  at  a  depth 
of  two  hundred  fathoms,  was  at  the  freezing  point  of  water. 

(95) 


96 


A  SLIGHT  MISHAP. 


The  doctor  proposed  that  a  bottle  of  champagne  should  be 
cooled  in  the  marine  refrigerator.  The  bottle  was  attached 
to  the  lead  and  thrown  overboard. 

"  I  send  champagne  to  Neptune,"  said  the  doctor.  "  He 
drink  him  and  he  be  happy." 

When  the  lead  returned  to  the  surface  it  came  alone. 
Neptune  drank  the  champagne  and  retained  the  bottle  as  a 
souvenir. 

One  day  the  sailors  caught  a  gull  and  painted  it  red.  When 
the  bird  was  released  he  greatly  alarmed  his  companions,  and 
as  long  as  we  could  see  them  they  shunned  his  society.  At 
least  eighty  miles  from  land  we  had  a  dozen  sparrows  around 
us  at  once.  A  small  hawk  seized  one  of  these  birds  and 
seated  himself  on  a  spar  for  the  purpose  of  breakfasting.  A 
fowling  piece  brought  him  to  the  deck,  where  we  examined 
and  pronounced  him  of  the  genus  Falco,  species  NI/SUS,  or 
in  plain  English,  a  sparrow  hawk.  During  the  day  we  saw 
three  varieties  of  small  birds,  one  of  them  resembling  the 
American  robin.  The  sailors  caught  two  in  their  hands,  and 
released  them  without  injury. 

Approaching  Ohotsk  a  fog  bank  shut  out  the  land  for  an 
hour  or  two,  and  when  it  lifted  we  discovered  the  harbor.  A 
small  sand-bar  intervened  between  the  ocean  and  the  town, 
but  did  not  intercept  the  view.  As  at  Petropavlovsk,  the 
church  was  the  most  prominent  object  and  formed  an  excellent 
landmark.  With  my  glass  I  surveyed  the  line  of  coast  where 
the  surf  was  breaking,  but  was  long  unable  to  discover  an 
entering  place.  The  Ohota  river  is  the  only  harbor,  and  en- 
tirely inaccessible  to  a  ship  like  the  Variag. 

Descending  the  ship's  side  after  we  anchored,  I  jumped 
when  the  boat  was  falling  and  went  down  five  or  six  feet  be- 
fore alighting.  Both  hands  were  blistered  as  the  gang-way 
ropes  passed  through  them.  Keeping  the  beacons  carefully 
in  line,  we  rolled  over  the  bar  on  the  top  of  a  high  wave,  and 
then  followed  the  river  channel  to  the  landing. 

Many  years  ago  Ohotsk  was  the  most  important  Russian 
port  on  the  waters  leading  to  the  Pacific.    Supplies  for  Kam- 


TAKING  IN  THE  STRANGERS. 


97 


chatka  and  Russian  America  were  brought  overland  from 
Yakutsk  and  shipped  to  Petropavlovsk,  Sitka,  and  other  points 
under  Russian  control.  ^lany  ships  for  the  Pacific  Ocean  and 
Ohotsk  sea  were  built  there.  I  was  shown  the  spot  where 
Bering's  vessel  was  constructed,  with  its  cordage  and  extra 
sails  of  deerskin,  and  its  caulking  of  moss.  Billings'  expe- 
dition in  a  ship  called  Russia's  Glory,  was  organized  here  for 
an  exploration  of  the  Arctic  ocean.  At  one  time  the  Gov- 
ernment had  foundries  and  workshops  at  Ohotsk.  The  shal- 
lowness of  water  on  the  bar  was  a  great  disadvantage,  as 
ships  drawing  more  than  twelve  feet  were  unable  to  enter. 
Twenty  years  ago  the  government  abandoned  Ohotsk  for  Ayan, 
and  when  the  Amoor  was  opened  it  gave  up  the  latter  place. 
The  population,  formerly  exceeding  two  thousand,  is  now  less 
than  two  hundred. 

We  landed  on  a  gravelly  beach,  where  we  were  met  by  a 
crowd  of  Cossacks  and  "  Lamuti."  The  almond-shaped  eyes 
and  high  cheek  bones  of  the  latter  betray  their  Mongolian 
origin.  As  I  walked  among  them  each  hailed  me  with 
6  sdrastveteh,'  the  Russian  for  i  good-morning.'  I  endeavored 
to  reply  with  the  same  word,  but  my  pronunciation  was  far 
from  accurate.  Near  these  natives  there  were  several  Yakuts 
and  Tunguze,  with  physiognomies  unlike  the  others.  The 
Russian  empire  contains  more  races  of  men  than  any  rival 
government,  and  we  frequently  find  the  population  of  a  single 
locality  made  up  from  two  or  more  branches  of  the  human 
family.  In  this  little  town  with  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve 
dozens  of  inhabitants,  there  were  representatives  of  the  Sla- 
vonic, the  Tartar,  and  the  Mongolian  races. 

We  found  Captain  Mahood,  of  the  Telegraph  service,  in  a 
quiet  residence,  where  he  had  passed  the  summer  in  compari- 
tive  idleness.  He  had  devoted  himself  to  exploring  the 
country  around  Ohotsk  and  studying  the  Russian  language. 
"We  don't  expect  to  starve  at  present,"  said  the  captain; 
"  Providence  sends  us  fish,  the  emperor  sends  us  flour,  and 
the  merchants  furnish  tea  and  sugar.    We  have  lived  so  long 


7 


98  CORNED   BEEF   AND  CIGARETTES. 

on  a  simple  bill  of  fare  that  we  are  almost  unfitted  for  any 
other." 

We  had  a  lunch  of  dried  fish,  tea,  whisky,  and  cigars,  and 
soon  after  went  to  take  tea  at  a  house  where  most  of  the 
Variag's  officers  were  assembled.  The  house  was  the  prop- 
erty of  three  brothers,  who  conducted  the  entire  commerce 
of  Ohotsk.  The  floor  of  the  room  where  we  were  feasted 
was  of  hewn  plank,  fastened  with  enormous  nails,  and  ap- 
peared able  to  resist  anything  short  of  an  earthquake.  The 
windows  were  double  to  keep  out  the  winter's  cold,  but  on 
that  occasion  they  displayed  a  profusion  of  flower  pots.  The 
walls  were  papered,  and  many  pictures  were  hung  upon  them. 
Every  part  of  the  room  was  scrupulously  clean. 


■WAGON  RIDE  "WITH  DOGS. 


Three  ladies  were  seated  on  a  sofa,  and  a  fourth  occupied 
a  chair  near  them.  The  three  were  the  wives  of  the  merchant 
brothers,  and  the  fourth  a  visiting  friend.  One  with  black 
eyes  and  hair  was  dressed  tastefully  and  even  elaborately. 
The  eldest,  who  acted  as  hostess,  was  in  black,  and  her  ease 
in  receiving  visitors  would  have  done  credit  to  a  society  dame 
in  St.  Petersburg.  By  way  of  commencement  we  had  tea 
and  nalifka,  the  latter  a  kind  of  currant  wine  of  local  manu- 
facture and  very  well  flavored.  They  gave  us  corned  beef 
and  bread,  each  person  taking  his  plate  upon  his  knee  as  at 
an  American  pic-nic,  and  after  two  or  three  courses  of  edibles 


FISH   STORY   ABOUT   A  COW. 


99 


we  had  coffee  and  cigarettes,  the  latter  from  a  manufactory 
at  Yakutsk.  According  to  Russian  etiquette  each  of  us 
thanked  the  hostess  for  her  courtesy. 

Out  in  the  broad  street  there  were  many  dogs  lying  idle  in 
the  sunshine  or  biting  each  other.  A  small  wagon  with  a 
team  of  nine  dogs  carried  a  quantity  of  tea  and  sugar  from 
the  Variag's  boats  to  a  warehouse.  When  the  work  was 
finished  I  took  a  ride  on  the  wagon,  and  was  carried  at  good 
speed.  I  enjoyed  the  excursion  until  the  vehicle  upset  and 
left  me  sprawling  on  the  gravel  with  two  or  three  bruises  and 
a  prejudice  against  that  kind  of  traveling.  By  the  time  I 
gained  my  feet  the  dogs  were  disappearing  in  the  distance, 
and  fairly  running  away  from  the  driver.  Possibly  they  are 
running  yet. 

An  old  weather  beaten  church  and  equally  old  barracks  are 
near  each  other,  an  appropriate  arrangement  in  a  country 
where  church  and  state  are  united.  The  military  garrison 
includes  thirty  Cossacks,  who  are  under  the  orders  of  the 
Ispravnik.  They  row  the  pilot  boat  when  needed,  travel  on 
courier  or  other  service,  guard  the  warehouses,  and  when  not 
wanted  by  government  labor  and  get  drunk  for  themselves. 
The  governor  was  a  native  of  Poland,  and  it  struck  me  as  a 
curious  fact  that  the  ispravniks  of  Kamchatka,  Ghijiga,  and 
Ohotsk  were  Poles. 

Cows  and  dogs  are  the  only  stock  maintained  at  Ohotsk. 
The  former  live  on  grass  in  summer,  and  on  hay  and  fish  in 
winter.  Though  repeatedly  told  that  cows  and  horses  in 
Northeastern  Siberia  would  eat  dried  fish  with  avidity,  I  was 
inclined  to  skepticism.  Captain  Mahood  told  me  he  had  seen 
them  eating  fish  in  winter  and  appearing  to  thrive  on  it. 
What  was  more  singular,  he  had  seen  a  cow  eating  fresh  sal- 
mon in  summer  when  the  hills  were  covered  with  grass. 

There  is  a  story  that  Cuvier  in  a  fit  of  illness,  once  im- 
agined His  Satanic  Majesty  standing  before  him. 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  great  naturalist,  "  horns,  hoofs  ;  graniver- 
ous ;  needn't  fear  him." 

I  wonder  if  Cuvier  knew  the  taste  of  the  cows  at  Ohotsk  ? 


100 


DOGS   CATCHING  SALMON. 


No  ship  had  visited  Ohotsk  for  nearly  a  year  before  our  ar- 
rival, though  half  a  dozen  whalers  had  passed  in  sight.  A 
steamer  goes  annually  from  the  Amoor  with  a  supply  of  flour 
and  salt  on  government  account.    The  mail  comes  once  a 

year,  so  that  the 
postmaster  has 
very  little  to  do 
for  three  hundred 
and  sixty-four 
days.  Sometimes 
the  mail  misses, 
and  then  people 
must  wait  another 
twelvemonth  f o  r 
their  letters. 
What  a  nice  resi- 
dence it  would  be 
for  a  young  man 
whose  sweetheart 
at  a  distance  writes 

YEARLY  MAIL. 

him  every  day. 

He  would  get  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  letters  at  once,  and 
in  the  case  of  a  missing  mail,  seven  hundred  and  thirty  of 
them. 

Bears  are  quite  numerous  around  Ohotsk,  and  their  dispo- 
sitions do  not  savor  of  gentleness.  Only  a  few  days  before 
our  visit  a  native  was  partly  devoured  within  two  miles  of 
town. 

Many  of  the  dogs  are  shrewd  enough  to  catch  their  own 
fish,  but  have  not  learned  how  to  cure  them  for  winter  use. 
When  at  Ohotsk  I  went  to  the  bank  of  the  river  as  the  tide 
was  coming  in,  and  watched  the  dogs  at  their  work.  Wading 
on  the  sand  bars  and  mud  flats  till  the  water  was  almost  over 
their  backs,  they  stood  like  statues  for  several  minutes. 
Waiting  till  a  salmon  was  fairly  within  reach,  a  dog  would 
snap  at  him  with  such  accuracy  of  aim  that  he  rarely  missed. 

I  kept  my  eye  on  a  shaggy  brute  that  stood  with  little  more 


UP    AND  AWAY. 


101 


than  his  head  out  of  water.  His  eyes  were  in  a  fixed  posi- 
tion, and  for  twelve  or  fifteen  minutes  he  did  not  move  a  mus- 
cle. Suddenly  his  head  disappeared,  and  after  a  brief  strug- 
gle lie  came  to  shore  with  a  ten-pound  salmon  in  his  jaws. 
None  of  the  cows  are  skilled  in  salmon  catching. 

Two  or 
three  years 
ago  a  mail 
carrier  from 
Ayan  to  Ya- 
kutsk was 
visited  by  a 
bear  during 
anight  halt. 
The  mail 
bag  was  ly- 
ing by  a  tree 
a  few  steps 
from  the  DOGS  kshiko. 

Cossack, 

and  near  the  bank  of  a  brook.  The  bear  seized  and  opened 
the  pouch,  regardless  of  the  government  seal  on  the  outside. 
After  turning  the  letter  package  several  times  in  his  paws,  he 
tossed  it  into  the  brook.  The  Cossack  discharged  his  pistol 
to  frighten  the  bear,  and  then  fished  the  letters  from  the 
water.  It  is  proper  to  say  the  package  was  addressed  to  an 
officer  somewhat  famous  for  his  bear-hunting  proclivities. 

When  we  left  Ohotsk  at  the  close  of  day,  we  took  Captain 
Mahood  and  the  governor  to  dine  with  us,  and  when  our  guests 
departed  we  hoisted  anchor  and  steamed  away.  Captain 
Lund  burned  a  blue  light  as  a  farewell  signal,  and  we  could 
see  an  answering  fire  on  shore.  Our  course  lay  directly 
southward,  and  when  our  light  was  extinguished  we  were 
barely  visible  through  the  distance  and  gloom. 

"  But  true  to  our  course,  though  our  shadow  grow  dark, 

We'll  trim  our  broad  sail  as  before ; 
And  stand  by  the  rudder  that  governs  the  bark, 

Nor  ask  how  we  look  from  the  shore." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ON  the  Ohotsk  Sea  we  had  calms  with  light  winds,  and 
made  very  slow  progress.  One  day  while  the  men 
were  exercising  at  the  guns,  the  look  out  reported  a  sail. 
We  were  just  crossing  the  course  from  Ayan  to  Ghijiga,  and 
were  in  the  Danzig's  track.  The  strange  vessel  shortened 
sail  and  stood  to  meet  us,  and  before  long  we  were  satisfied 
it  was  our  old  acquaintance.  At  sunset  we  were  several 
miles  apart  and  nearing  very  slowly.  The  night  was  one  of 
the  finest  I  ever  witnessed  at  sea ;  the  moon  full  and  not  a 
cloud  visible,  and  the  wind  carrying  us  four  or  five  miles  an 
hour.  The  brig  was  lying  to,  and  we  passed  close  under  her 
stern,  shortening  our  sail  as  we  approached  her.  Everybody 
was  on  deck  and  curious  to  learn  the  news. 

"  Sdrastveteh,"  shouted  Captain  Lund  when  we  were  in 
hearing  distance. 

"  Sdrastveteh,"  responded  the  clear  voice  of  Phillipeus ; 
and  then  followed  the  history  of  the  Danzig's  voyage. 

"  We  had  a  good  voyage  to  Ayan,  and  staid  there  four 
days.  We  are  five  days  out,  and  passed  through  a  heavy 
gale  on  the  second  day.    Going  to  Ghijiga." 

Then  we  replied  with  the  story  of  our  cruise  and  asked  for 
news  from. Europe. 

"  War  in  progress — France  and  Austria  against  Prussia, 
Italy,  and  Russia.    No  particulars." 

By  this  time  the  ships  were  separated  and  our  conversation 
ended.  It  was  conducted  in  Russian,  but  I  knew  enough  of 
the  language  to  comprehend  what  was  said.    There  was  a 

(102) 


A    CROOKED  PASSAGE. 


103 


universal  "  eh ! "  of  astonishment  as  the  important  sentence 
was  completed. 

Here  were  momentous  tidings  ;  France  and  Russia  taking 
part  in  a  war  that  was  not  begun  when  I  left  America.  A 
French  fleet  was  in  Japanese  waters  and  might  be  watching 
for  us.  It  had  two  ships,  either  of  them  stronger  than  the 
Yariag. 

As  the  Danzig  disappeared  we  went  below.  "  I  hoped  to 
go  home  at  the  end  of  this  voyage,"  said  the  captain  as  we 
seated  around  his  table  ;  "  but  we  must  now  remain  in  the 
Pacific.  War  has  come  and  may  give  us  glory  or  the  grave ; 
possibly  both." 

For  an  hour  we  discussed  the  intelligence  and  the  proba- 
bilities of  its  truth.  As  we  separated,  Captain  Lund  repeated 
with  emphasis  his  opinion  that  the  news  was  false. 

"  I  do  not  believe  it,"  said  he ;  "  but  I  must  prepare  for 
any  emergency." 

In  the  wardroom  the  officers  were  exultant  over  the  pros- 
pect of  promotion  and  prize  money.  The  next  day  the  men 
were  exercised  at  the  guns,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage 
they  could  not  complain  of  ennui.  The  deck  was  cleared  of 
all  superfluous  rubbish,  and  we  were  ready  for  a  battle.  The 
shotted  case  for  the  signal  books  was  made  ready,  and  other 
little  preparations  attended  to.  I  seemed  carried  back  to  my 
days  of  war,  and  had  vivid  recollections  of  being  stormed  at 
with  shot  and  shell. 

From  Ohotsk  to  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor  is  a  direct  course 
of  about  four  hundred  miles.  A  light  draught  steamer  would 
have  made  short  work  of  it,  but  we  drew  too  much  water  to 
enter  the  northern  passage.  So  we  were  forced  to  sail  through 
La  Perouse  Straits  and  up  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  to  De  Castries 
Bay.  The  voyage  was  more  than  twelve  hundred  miles  in 
length,  and  had  several  turnings.  It  was  like  going  from 
New  York  to  Philadelphia  through  Harrisburg,  or  from  Paris 
to  London  through  Brussels  and  Edinboro'. 

A  good  wind  came  to  our  relief  and  took  us  rapidly  through 
La  Perouse  straits.    There  is  a  high  rock  in  the  middle  of 


104 


AN   EXCITING  MOMENT. 


the  passage  covered  with  sea-lions,  like  those  near  San  Fran- 
cisco. In  nearly  all  weather  the  roaring  of  these  creatures 
can  be  heard,  and  is  a  very  good  substitute  for  a  fog-bell.  I 
am  not  aware  that  any  government  allows  a  subsidy  to  the 
sea-lions. 

We  saw  the  northern  coast  of  Japan  and  the  southern  end 
of  Sakhalin,  both  faint  and  shadowy  in  the  fog  and  distance. 
The  wind  freshened  to  a  gale,  and  we  made  twelve  knots  an 
hour  under  double  reefed  mainsails  and  topsails.  In  the  nar- 
row straits  we  escaped  the  heavy  waves  encountered  at  sea  in 
a  similar  breeze.  Turning  at  right  angles  in  the  Gulf  of 
Tartary,  we  began  to  roll  until  walking  was  no  easy  matter. 
The  wind  abated  so  that  by  night  we  shook  out  our  reefs  and 
spread  the  royals  and  to'gallant  sails  to  keep  up  our  speed. 

As  we  approached  De  Castries  the  question  of  war  was 
again  discussed. 

"  If  I  find  only  one  French  ship  there,' '  said  the  captain, 
"  I  shall  proceed.  If  there  are  two  I  cannot  fight  them,  and 
must  run  to  San  Francisco  or  some  other  neutral  port." 

Just  then  San  Francisco  was  the  last  place  I  desired  to 
visit,  but  I  knew  I  must  abide  the  fortunes  of  war.  We 
talked  of  the  possibility  of  convincing  a  French  captain  that 
we  were  engaged  in  an  international  enterprise,  and  therefore 
not  subject  to  capture.  Anossoff  joined  me  in  arranging  a 
plan  to  cover  contingencies. 

As  we  approached  De  Castries  we  could  see  the  spars  of  a 
large  ship  over  the  islands  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor.  A 
moment  later  she  was  announced. 

"  A  corvette,  with  steam  up." 

She  displayed  her  flag — an  English  one.  As  we  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  a  boat  came  to  us,  and  an  officer 
mounted  the  side  and  descended  to  the  cabin.  The  ship 
proved  to  be  the  British  Corvette  Scylla,  just  ready  to  sail  for 
Japan.  Escaping  her  we  did  not  encounter  Charybdis.  The 
mission  of  the  Scylla  was  entirely  pacific,  and  her  officer  in- 
formed us  there  had  been  war  between  Prussia  and  Austria, 


CHANGING  QUARTERS. 


105 


but  at  last  accounts  all  Europe  was  at  peace.  The  war  of 
1866  was  finished  long  before  I  knew  of  its  commencement. 

De  Castries  Bay  is  on  the  Gulf  of  Tartary,  a  hundred  and 
thirty-five  miles  from  Nicolayevsk.  La  Perouse  discovered 
and  surveyed  it  in  1787,  and  named  it  in  honor  of  the  French 
Minister  of  Marine.  It  is  in  Lat.  51°  28'  N.,  Lon.  140°  49' 
E.,  and  affords  good  and  safe  anchorage.  Near  the  entrance 
are  several  islands,  which  protect  ships  anchored  behind  them. 
The  largest  of  these  islands  is  occupied  as  a  warehouse  and 
coal  depot,  and  has  an  observatory  and  signal  station  visible 
from  the  Gulf.  The  town  is  small,  containing  altogether  less 
than  fifty  buildings.  It  is  a  kind  of  ocean  port  to  Nicolayevsk 
and  the  Amoor  river,  but  the  settlement  was  never  a  flourish- 
ing one. 

Twelve  miles  from  the  landing  is  the  end  of  Lake  Keezee, 
which  opens  into  the  Amoor  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 
its  mouth.  It  was  formerly  the  custom  to  send  couriers  by 
way  of  Lake  Keezee  and  the  Amoor  to  Nicolayevsk  to  notify 
consigners  and  officials  of  the  arrival  of  ships.  Now  the 
telegraph  is  in  operation  and  supercedes  the  courier. 

In  1855  an  English  fleet  visited  De  Castries  in  pursuit  of 
some  Russian  vessels  known  to  have  ascended  the  Gulf. 
When  the  fleet  came  in  sight  there  were  four  Russian  ships 
in  port,  and  a  few  shots  were  exchanged,  none  of  them  taking 
effect.  During  a  heavy  fog  in  the  following  night  and  day 
the  Russians  escaped  and  ascended  the  Straits  of  Tartary 
toward  the  Amoor.  The  Aurora,  the  largest  of  these  ships, 
threw  away  her  guns,  anchors,  and  every  heavy  article,  and 
succeeded  in  entering  the  Amoor.  The  English  lay  near  De 
Castries,  and  could  not  understand  where  the  Russians  had 
gone,  as  the  southern  entrance  of  the  Amoor  was  then  un- 
known to  geographers. 

We  reached  this  port  on  the  morning  of  September  eleventh. 
The  Yariag  could  go  no  further  owing  to  her  draft  of  water, 
but  fortunately  the  Morje,  a  gunboat  of  the  Siberian  fleet,  was 
to  sail  for  Nicolayevsk  at  noon,  and  we  were  happily  disap-  i 
pointed  in  our  expectations  of  waiting  several  days  at  De 


10G 


THE    SIBERIAN  FLEET. 


Castries.  About  eleven  o'clock  I  left  the  Yariag  and  accom- 
panied Captain  Lund,  the  doctor,  and  Mr.  Anassoff  into  the 
boat  dancing  at  the  side  ladder.  Half  an  hour  after  we 
boarded  the  Morje  she  was  under  way,  and  we  saw  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  corvette  waving  us  farewell. 

The  Morje  drew  eight  feet  of  water,  and  was  admirably 
adapted  to  the  sea  coast  service.  There  were  several  vessels 
of  this  class  in  the  Siberian  fleet,  and  their  special  duty  was 
to  visit  the  ports  of  Kamchatka,  North  Eastern  Siberia,  and 
Manjouria,  and  act  as  tow  boats  along  the  Straits  of  Tartary. 
The  officers  commanding  them  are  sent  from  Russia,  and 
generally  remain  ten  years  in  this  service.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  if  they  wish  to  retire  they  can  do  so  and  receive 
half-pay  for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  This  privilege  is  not 
granted  to  officers  in  other  squadrons,  and  is  given  on  the 
Siberian  station  in  consequence  of  the  severer  duties  and  the 
distance  from  the  centers  of  civilization. 

In  its  military  service  the  government  makes  inducements 
of  pay  and  promotion  to  young  officers  who  go  to  Siberia.  I 
frequently  met  officers  who  told  me  they  had  sought  appoint- 
ments in  the  Asiatic  department  in  preference  to  any  other. 
The  pay  and  allowances  are  better  than  in  European  Russia, 
promotion  is  more  rapid,  and  the  necessities  of  life  are  gen- 
erally less  costly.  Duties  are  more  onerous  and  privations 
are  greater,  but  these  drawbacks  are  of  little  consequence  to 
an  enterprising  and  ambitious  soldier. 

The  Morje  had  no  accommodations  for  passengers,  and  the 
addition  to  her  complement  was  something  serious.  Captain 
Lund,  the  doctor,  Mr.  Anassoff,  and  myself  were  guests  of 
her  captain.  The  cabin  was  given  to  us  to  arrange  as  best 
we  could.  My  proposal  to  sleep  under  the  table  was  laughed 
at  as  impracticable.  I  knew  what  I  was  about,  having  done 
the  same  thing  years  before  on  Mississippi  steamers.  When 
you  must  sleep  on  the  floor  where  people  may  walk  about, 
always  get  under  the  table  if  possible.  You  run  less  risk  of 
receiving  boot  heels  in  your  mouth  and  eyes,  and  whole  acres 
of  brogans  in  your  ribs. 


IN   THE    STRAITS   OF  TARTARY. 


107 


The  navigation  of  the  Straits  of  Tartary  is  very  intricate, 
the  water  being  shallow  and  the  channel  tortuous.  From 


TEACHINGS  OF  EXPERIENCE. 


De  Castries  to  Cape  Catherine  there  is  no  difficulty,  but  be- 
yond the  cape  the  channel  winds  like  the  course  of  the  Ohio, 
and  at  many  points  bends  quite  abruptly.  The  government 
has  surveyed  and  buoyed  it  with  considerable  care,  so  that  a 
good  pilot  can  take  a  light  draught  steamer  from  De  Castries 
to  Nicolayevsk  in  twelve  or  fifteen  hours.  Sailing  ships  are 
greatly  retarded  by  head  winds  and  calms,  and  often  spend 
weeks  on  the  voyage.  In  1857  Major  Collins  was  nineteen 
days  on  the  barque  Bering  from  one  of  these  ports  to  the 
other. 

In  the  straits  we  passed  four  vessels,  one  of  them  thirty 
days  from  De  Castries  and  only  half  through  the  worst  of 
the  passage.  The  water  shoals  so  rapidly  in  some  places 
that  it  is  necessary  to  sound  on  both  sides  of  the  ship  at  once. 
Vessels  drawing  less  than  ten  feet  can  pass  to  the  Ohotsk  sea 
around  the  northern  end  of  Sakhalin  island,  but  the  channel 
is  even  more  crooked  than  the  southern  one. 

We  anchored  at  sunset,  and  did  not  move  till  daybreak. 


108        SERVICE   ON   THE   WATERS. — A  MIRAGE. 

At  the  hour  of  sunset,  on  this  vessel  as  on  the  corvette,  we 
had  the  evening  chant  of  the  service  of  the  Eastern  church. 
While  it  was  in  progress  a  sentinel  on  duty  over  the  cabin 
held  his  musket  in  his  left  hand  and  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  with  his  right.  Soldier  and  Christian  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, he  observed  the  outward  ceremonial  of  both.  The 
crew,  with  uncovered  heads,  stood  upon  the  deck  and  chanted 
the  prayer.  As  the  prayer  was  uttered  the  national  flag, 
lowered  from  the  mast,  seemed,  like  those  beneath  it,  to  bow 
in  adoration  of  the  Being  who  holds  the  waters  in  the  hollow 
of  His  hand,  and  guides  and  controls  the  universe. 

While  passing  the  straits  of  Tartary  we  observed  a  mirage 
of  great  beauty,  that  pictured  the  shores  of  Sakhalin  like  a 
tropical  scene.  We  seemed  to  distinguish  cocoa  and  palm 
trees,  dark  forests  and  waving  fields  of  cane,  along  the  rocky 
shores,  that  were  really  below  the  horizon.  Then  there  were 
castles,  with  lofty  walls  and  frowning  battlements,  cloud-cap- 
ped towers,  gorgeous  palaces,  and  solemn  temples,  rising 
among  the  fields  and  forests,  and  overarched  with  curious 
combinations  of  rainbow  hues.  The  mirage  frequently  occurs 
in  this  region,  but  I  was  told  it  rarely  attained  such  beauty 
as  on  that  occasion. 

Sakhalin  island,  which  separates  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  from 
the  Ohotsk  sea,  extends  through  nine  degrees  of  latitude  and 
belongs  partly  to  Russia  and  partly  to  Japan.  The  Japanese 
have  settlements  in  the  Southern  portion,  engaging  in  trade 
with  the  natives  and  catching  and  curing  fish.  The  natives 
are  of  Tunguze  origin,  like  those  of  the  lower  Amoor,  and 
subsist  mainly  upon  fish.  The  Russians  have  settlements  at 
Cape  Dui,  where  there  is  excellent  coal  in  veins  eighteen  feet 
thick  and  quite  near  the  coast.  Russia  desired  the  entire  is- 
land, but  the  Japanese  positively  refuse  to  negotiate.  Some 
years  ago  the  Siberian  authorities  established  a  colony  near 
the  Southern  extremity,  but  its  existence  was  brief. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  September  eleventh  we 
entered  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor,  the  great  river  of  Asiatic 
Russia.    The  entrance  is  between  two  Capes  or  headlands, 


RUSSIAN   MODE   OF  STEERING. 


109 


seven  miles  apart  and  two  or  three  hundred  feet  high.  The 
southern  one,  near  which  we  passed,  is  called  Cape  Pronge, 
and  has  a  Gilyack  village  at  its  base.  Below  this  cape  the 
hills  border  the  Gulf  and  frequently  show  precipitous  sides. 
The  shallow  water  at  their  base  renders  the  land  undesirable 
for  settlement.  The  timber  is  small  and  indicates  the  sever- 
ity of  the  cold  seasons.  In  their  narrowest  part  the  Straits 
are  eight  miles  wide  and  frozen  in  winter.  The  natives  have 
a  secure  bridge  of  ice  for  at  least  four  months  of  the  year. 
De  Castries  Bay  is  generally  filled  with  ice  and  unsafe  for 
vessels  from  October  to  March. 

From  the  time  we  entered  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  the  water 
changed  its  color,  growing  steadily  dirtier  until  we  reached 
the  Amoor.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river  I  found  it  a  weak  tea 
complexion,  like  the  Ohio  at  its  middle  stage,  and  was  told 
that  it  varied  through  all  the  shades  common  to  rivers  ac- 
cording to  its  height  and  the  circumstances  of  season.  I 
doubt  if  it  ever  assumes  the  hue  of  the  Missouri  or  the 
Sacramento,  though  it  is  by  no  means  impossible. 

Passing  Cape  Pronge  and  looking  up  the  river,  a  back- 
ground of  hills  and  mountains  made  a  fine  landscape  with 
beautiful  lights  and  shadows  from  the  afternoon  sun.  The 
channel  is  marked  with  stakes  and  buoys  and  with  beacons 
along  the  shore.  The  pilots  when  steering  frequently  turned 
their  backs  to  the  bow  of  the  steamer  and  watched  the  bea- 
cons over  the  stern.  As  we  approached  Nicolayevsk  there 
was  a  mirage  that  made  the  ships  in  port  appear  as  if  anchored 
in  the  town  itself. 

We  passed  Chinyrack,  the  fortress  that  guards  the  river, 
and  is  surrounded,  as  if  for  concealment,  with  a  grove  of 
trees-  Along  the  bank  above  Chinyrack  there  are  warehouses 
of  various  kinds,  all  belonging  to  government.  Soon  after 
dark  we  anchored  before  the  town,  and  below  several  other 
vessels.  My  sea  travel  was  ended  till  I  should  reach  Atlantic 
waters. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AT  Nicolayevsk  it  is  half  a  mile  from  the  anchorage  to 
the  shore.  A  sand  spit  projects  from  the  lower  end 
of  the  town  and  furnishes  a  site  for  government  workshops 
and  foundries.  Above  this  tongue  of  land  the  water  is  shal- 
low and  allows  only  light  draft  and  flat  bottomed  boats  to 
come  to  the  piers.  All  sea-going  vessels  remain  in  mid- 
stream, where  they  are  discharged  by  lighters.  There  is 
deeper  water  both  above  and  below  the  town,  and  I  was  told 
that  a  change  of  site  had  been  meditated.  The  selection  of 
the  spot  where  Nicolayevsk  stands  was  owing  to  the  advan- 
tages of  the  sand  spit  as  a  protection  to  river  boats. 

After  dining  on  the  Morje  we  went  on  shore,  and  landed  at 
a  flight  of  wooden  steps  in  the  side  of  a  pier.  The  piers  of 
Nicolayevsk  are  constructed  with  4  cribs '  about  twenty  feet 
apart  and  strong  timbers  connecting  them.  The  flooring  was 
about  six  feet  above  water,  and  wide  enough  for  two  teams  to 
pass. 

Turning  to  the  left  at  the  end  of  the  pier,  we  found  a  plank 
sidewalk  ascending  a  sloping  road  in  the  hillside.  The  pier 
reminded  me  of  Boston  or  New  York,  but  it  lacked  the  huge 
warehouses  and  cheerful  hackmen  to  render  the  similarity 
complete.  "  This  is  Natchez,  Mississippi,"  I  said  as  we  moved 
up  the  hill,  "  and  this  is  Cairo,  Illinois,"  as  my  feet  struck 
the  plank  sidewalk.  The  sloping  road  came  to  an  end  sooner 
than  at  Natchez,  and  the  sidewalk  did  not  reveal  any  pitfalls 
like  those  in  Cairo  a  few  years  ago.  The  bluff  where  the 
city  stands  is  about  fifty  feet  high,  and  the  ascent  of  the  road 
so  gentle  that  one  must  be  verv  weak  to  find  it  fatiguing. 

(110) 


A   GOVERNMENT  TOWN. 


Ill 


The  officers  who  came  on  shore  with  me  went  to  the  club 
rooms  to  pass  the  evening.  I  sought  the  residence  of  Mr. 
H.  G-.  0.  Chase,  the  Commercial  Agent  of  the  United  States, 
and  representative  of  the  house  of  Boardman.  I  found  him 
living  very  comfortably  in  bachelor  quarters  that  contained  a 
library  and  other  luxuries  of  civilization.  In  his  sitting-room 
there  was  a  map  of  the  Russian  empire  and  one  of  Boston, 
and  there  were  lithographs  and  steel  engravings,  exhibiting 
the  good  taste  of  the  owner. 

Rising  early  the  next  morning,  I  began  a  study  of  the  town. 
Nicolayevsk  was  founded  in  1853  in  the  interest  of  the  Rus- 
sian government,  but  nominally  as  a  trading  post  of  the  Rus- 
sian American  Company.  Yery  soon  it  became  a  military 
post,  and  its  importance  increased  with  the  commencement 
of  hostilities  between  Russia  and  the  Western  powers  in 
1854.  Foundries  were  established,  fortifications  built,  ware- 
houses erected,  and  docks  laid  out  from  time  to  time,  until 
the  place  has  attained  a  respectable  size.  Its  population  in 
1866  was  about  five  thousand,  with  plenty  of  houses  for  all 
residents. 

Nicolayevsk  is  emphatically  a  government  town,  five-sixths 
of  the  inhabitants  being  directly  or  indirectly  in  the  emperor's 
employ.  "What  is  this  building?"  I  asked,  pointing  to  a 
neat  house  on  the  principal  street.  "  The  residence  of  the 
Admiral,"  was  the  reply. 

"  And  this?" 

"  That  is  the  Chancellerie." 
"  And  this  ? " 

"  The  office  of  the  Captain  of  the  Port." 

So  I  questioned  till  three-fourths  the  larger  and  better  es- 
tablishments had  been  indicated.  Nearly  all  were  in  some 
way  connected  with  government.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
are  employed  in  the  machine  shops,  others  in  the  arsenals 
and  warehouses,  and  a  goodly  number  engage  in  soldiering. 
The  multitude  of  whisky  shops  induces  the  belief  that  the 
verb  4  to  soldier '  is  conjugated  in  all  its  moods  and  tenses. 


112 


A   SIBERIAN  FOUNDRY. 


The  best  part  of  the  town  is  along  its  front,  where  there  is  a 
wide  and  well  made  street  called  '  the  Prospect.' 

The  best  houses  are  on  the  Prospect,  and  include  the  resi- 
dences of  the  chief  officials  and  the  merchants.  On  the  back 
streets  is  the  '  Slobodkaf  or  poorer  part  of  the  town.  Here 
the  laborers  of  every  kind  have  their  dwellings,  and  here  the 
lafka  is  most  to  be  found.  Lafkas  are  chiefly  devoted  to 
liquor  selling,  and  are  as  numerous  in  proportion  to  the  popu- 
lation as  beer-shops  in  Chicago.  I  explored  the  '  slobodkaf 
but  did  not  find  it  attractive.  Dogs  were  as  plentiful  and  as 
dubious  in  breed  and  character  as  in  the  Sixth  Ward  or  near 
Castle  Garden. 

The  church  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  the  foreground 
of  the  town,  and,  like  nearly  all  edifices  at  Nicolayevsk,  is 
built  of  logs.  Back  of  it  is  the  chancellerie,  or  military  and 
civil  office,  with  a  flag-staff  and  semaphore  for  signalling  ves- 
sels in  the  harbor.  Of  other  public  buildings  I  might  name 
the  naval  office,  police  office,  telegraph  house,  and  a  dozen 
others. 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival  I  called  on  Admiral  Ful- 
yelm,  the  governor  of  the  Maritime  Provinces  of  Eastern 
Siberia.  The  region  he  controls  includes  Kamchatka  and  all 
the  seacoast  down  to  Corea,  and  has  an  area  of  nearly  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles.  He  had  been  only 
a  few  months  in  command,  and  was  busily  at  work  regulating 
his  department.  He  spoke  English  fluently,  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  America  and  American  affairs.  During  my 
voyage  on  the  Variag  I  heard  much  of  the  charming  man- 
ners of  Madame  Fulyelm,  and  regretted  to  learn  she  was 
spending  the  summer  in  the  country. 

The  machine  shops,  foundries,  and  dock-yard  are  described 
in  Russian  by  the  single  word  6  port.'  I  visited  the  port  of 
Nicolayevsk  and  found  it  more  extensive  than  one  might  ex- 
pect in  this  new  region.  There  were  machines  for  rolling, 
planing,  cutting,  casting,  drilling,  hammering,  punching,  and 
otherwise  treating  and  maltreating  iron.  There  were  shops 
for  sawing,  planing,  polishing,  turning,  and  twisting  all  sorts 


THE   SERVANT-GAL   QUESTION.  113 


of  wood,  and  there  were  other  shops  where  copper  and  brass 
could  take  any  coppery  or  brassy  shape  desired.  To  sum  up 
the  port  in  a  few  words,  its  managers  can  make  or  repair 
marine  and  other  engines,  and  produce  any  desired  wood- 
work for  house  building  or  ship  repairing.  They  build  ships 
and  equip  them  with  machinery  ready  for  sea. 

The  establishment  is  under  the  direct  supervision  of  Mr. 
Woods,  an  American  citizen  of  Scotch  birth.  Mr.  Elliott,  a 
Massachusetts  Yankee,  and  Mr.  Laney,  an  Englishman,  are 
connected  with  the  affair.  Mr.  Elliott  had  become  a  perman- 
ent fixture  by  marrying  a  Russian  woman  and  purchasing  a 
commodious  house  The  three  men  appeared  to  take  great 
pride  in  what  they  had  accomplished  in  perfecting  the  port. 

It  was  a  little  curious  to  see  at  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor  a 
steam  fire  engine  from  the  Amoskeag  Works  at  Manchester, 
N.  H.  The  engine  was  labelled  4  Amoor '  in  Russian  charac- 
ters, and  appeared  to  be  well  treated.  A  house  was  assigned 
it,  and  watchmen  were  constantly  on  duty.  The  whole  town 
being  of  wood  it  is  highly  important  that  the  engine  should 
act  promptly  in  case  of  fire.  The  supply  of  hose  was  ample 
for  all  emergencies. 

Several  heavy  guns  were  shown  me,  which  were  hauled 
overland  from  the  Ural  Mountains  during  the  Crimean  war 
and  brought  in  boats  down  the  Amoor.  The  expense  of 
transporting  them  must  have  been  enormous,  their  journey 
by  roads  to  the  head  of  the  river  being  fully  three  thousand 
miles. 

I  spent  a  morning  with  Mr.  Chase  in  calling  upon  several 
foreign  merchants  and  their  families.  The  most  prominent 
of  the  merchants  is  Mr.  Ludorf,  a  German,  who  went  there 
in  1856,  and  has  transacted  a  heavy  business  on  the  Amoor 
and  in  Japan  and  China.  Mrs.  Ludorf  followed  her  husband 
in  1858,  and  was  the  first  foreign  lady  to  enter  Nicolayevsk. 

The  most  interesting  topic  to  Mr.  Chase  and  the  ladies  was 
that  of  cooks.  Within  two  weeks  there  had  been  much 
trouble  with  the  chefs  de  cuisine,  and  every  housekeeper  was 
in  deep  grief.  Servants  are  the  universal  discomfort  from 
8 


114 


NATIVES   OF   THE   A  MOOR. 


the  banks  of  the  Hudson  to  those  of  the  Amoor.  Man  to  be 
happy  must  return  to  the  primitive  stages  of  society  before 
cooks  and  housemaids  were  invented. 

The  hills  around  Nicolayevsk  are  covered  with  forests  of 
small  pines.  Timber  for  house  building  purposes  is  rafted 
from  points  on  the  Amoor  where  trees  are  larger.  For- 
merly the  town  was  in  the  midst  of  a  forest,  but  the  vicinity 
is  now  pretty  well  cleared.  Going  back  from  the  river,  the 
streets  begin  grandly,  and  promise  a  great  deal  they  do  not 
perform.  For  one  or  two  squares  they  are  good,  the  third 
square  is  passable,  the  fourth  is  full  of  stumps,  and  when  you 
reach  the  fifth  and  sixth,  there  is  little  street  to  be  found.  I 
never  saw  a  better  illustration  of  the  road  that  commenced 
with  a  double  row  of  shade  trees,  and  steadily  diminished  in 
character  until  it  became  a  squirrel-track  and  ran  up  a  tree. 
There  is  very  little  agriculture  in  the  vicinity,  the  soil  and 
climate  being  unfavorable.  The  chief  supply  of  vegetables 
comes  from  the  settlements  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river 
up  to  Lake  Keezee,  and  along  the  shores  of  the  lake.  All 
the  ordinary  garden  vegetables  are  raised,  and  in  some  local- 
ities they  attain  goodly  size. 

Every  morning  there  was  a  lively  scene  at  the  river's  edge 
in  front  of  the  town.  Peasants  from  the  farming  settlements 
were  there  with  articles  for  sale,  and  a  vigorous  chaffering 
was  in  progress.  There  were  soldiers  in  grey  coats,  sailors 
from  the  ships  in  the  harbor,  laborers  in  clothing  more  or  less 
shabby,  and  a  fair  sprinkling  of  aboriginals.  To  an  Ameri- 
can freshly  arrived  the  natives  were  quite  a  study.  They 
were  of  the  Mongol  type,  their  complexions  dark,  hair  black, 
eyes  obliquely  set,  noses  flat,  and  cheek  bones  high.  Most 
of  them  had  the  hair  plaited  in  a  queue  after  the  Chinese 
fashion.  Some  wore  boots  of  untanned  skin,  and  a  few  had 
adopted  those  of  Russian  make.  They  generally  wear  blouses 
or  frocks  after  the  Chinese  pattern,  and  the  most  of  them 
could  be  readily  taken  for  shabby  Celestials. 

Their  hats  were  of  two  kinds,  some  of  felt  and  turned  up 
at  the  sides,  and  others  of  decorated  birch  bark  shaped  like 


BOAT  LOAD   OF  SALMON. 


115 


a  parasol.  These  hats  were  an  excellent  protection  against 
sun  and  rain,  but  could  hardly  be  trusted  in  a  high  wind. 
All  these  men  were  inveterate  smokers,  and  carried  their  pipes 
and  tobacco  pouches  at  their  waists.  Most  had  sheath  knives 
attached  to  belts,  and  some  carried  flint,  steel,  and  tinder. 
They  formed  picturesque  groups,  some  talking  with  purchas- 
ers and  others  collected  around  fires  or  near  their  piles  of 
fish. 

As  I  stood  on  the  bank,  a  Gilyak  boat  came  near  me  with 
a  full  cargo  of  salmon.  The  boat  was  built  very  high  at  bow 
and  stern, 
and  its 
bottom 
was  a  sin- 
gle plank, 
greatly 
curved. 
It  was  pro- 
pelled by 
a  wo  m  a  n 
m  a  n  i  p  u 
lating  a 
pair  of 
oars  with 

blades  shaped  like  spoon-bowls,  beaten  flat,  which  she  pulled 
alternately  with  a  kind  of  '  hand-over-hand '  process.  This 
mode  of  rowing  is  universal  among  the  Gilyaks,  but  does  not 
prevail  with  other  natives  along  the  Amoor. 

Whenever  I  approached  a  group  of  Gilyaks  I  was  promptly 
hailed  with  6reba!  rehaP  (fish!  fish!)  I  shook  my  head 
and  uttered  nierte  (no,)  and  our  conversation  ceased.  The 
salmon  were  in  piles  along  the  shore  or  lying  in  the  native 
boats.  Fishing  was  not  a  monopoly  of  the  Gilyaks,  as  I  saw 
several  Russians  engaged  in  the  business.  They  appeared 
on  the  best  terms  with  their  aboriginal  neighbors. 

Salmon  are  abundant  in  the  Amoor  and  as  much  a  neces- 
sity of  life  as  in  Northern  Siberia.    They  are  not  as  good  as 


BOAT  LOAD  OF  SALMON. 


116  PRIMITIVE  WATER-WORKS. 

in  Kamchatka,  and  I  believe  it  is  the  rule  that  the  salmon 
deteriorates  as  one  goes  toward  the  south.  Possibly  the 
quality  of  the  Amoor  salmon  is  owing  to  the  time  the  fish  re- 
main in  the  brackish  waters  of  the  Straits  of  Tartary.  The 
fishing  season  is  the  only  busy  portion  of  the  year  with  the 
natives. 

The  town  is  supplied  with  water  by  carts  like  those  used 
in  many  places  along  our  Western  rivers.    For  convenience 


AN  EFFECTIVE  PROTEST. 


in  filling  the  driver  goes  into  the  stream  until  the  water  is 
pretty  well  up  his  horse's  sides.  A  bucket  attached  to  a  long 
handle  is  used  for  dipping,  and  moves  very  leisurely.  I  saw 
one  driver  go  so  far  from  shore  that  his  horse  protested  in 
dumb  but  expressive  show.  The  animal  turned  and  walked 
to  land,  over-setting  the  cart  and  spilling  the  driver  into  the 
water.  There  was  a  volley  of  Russian  epithets,  but  the  horse 
did  not  observe  them. 


THE   A MOOR  COMPANY. 


117 


At  a  photographic  establishment  I  purchased  several  views 
of  the  city  and  surrounding  region.  I  sought  a  watch  dealer 
in  the  hope  of  replacing  my  broken  time  piece,  but  was  un- 
successful. I  finally  succeeded  in  purchasing  a  cheap  watch 
of  so  curious  workmanship  that  it  ran  itself  out  and  utterly 
stopped  within  a  week. 

One  evening  in  the  public  garden  a  military  band  furnished 
creditable  music,  and  I  was  told  that  it  was  formed  by  select- 
ing men  from  the  ranks,  most  of  whom  had  never  played  a 
single  note  on  any  instrument.  Writers  on  Russia  twenty 
years  ago  said  that  men  were  frequently  assigned  to  work 
they  had  never  seen  performed.  If  men  were  wanted  for  any 
government  service  a  draft  was  made,  just  as  for  filling  the 
army,  and  when  the  recruits  arrived  they  were  distributed. 
One  was  detailed  for  a  blacksmith,  and  straightway  went  to 
his  anvil  and  began.  Another  was  told  to  be  a  machinist, 
and  received  his  tools.  He  seated  himself  at  his  bench, 
watched  his  neighbor  at  work,  and  commenced  with  little  de- 
lay. Another  became  a  glass-blower,  another  a  lapidary, 
another  a  musician,  and  so  on  through  all  the  trades. 

I  have  heard  that  an  Ohio  colonel  in  our  late  war  had  a 
fondness  for  never  being  outdone  by  rivals.  One  day  his 
chaplain  told  him  that  a  work  of  grace  was  going  on  in  the 
army.  "  Fifteen  men,"  said  he,  "  were  baptized  last  Sunday 
in  Colonel  Blank's  regiment,  and  the  reformation  is  still  going 
on."    Without  replying  the  colonel  called  his  adjutant. 

"  Captain,"  was  the  command,  "  detail  twenty  men  for  bap- 
tism at  once.    I  won't  be  outdone  by  any  other  regiment 

in  the  army." 

Near  the  river  there  are  several  large  buildings,  formerly 
belonging  to  the  Amoor  Company,  an  institution  that  closed 
its  affairs  in  the  summer  of  1866.  After  the  opening  of  the 
Amoor  this  company  was  formed  in  St.  Petersburg  with  a 
paid  up  or  guaranteed  capital  of  nearly  half  a  million  pounds 
sterling.  Its  object  was  the  control  of  trade  on  the  Amoor 
and  its  tributaries,  and  the  general  development  of  commerce 
in  Northern  Asia. 


118 


PEOPLING   THE  COUNTRY. 


It  began  operations  in  1858,  but  was  unfortunate  from  the 
beginning.  In  1859  it  sent  out  three  ships,  two  of  which 
were  lost  between  De  Castries  and  Nicolayevsk.  Each  of 
them  had  valuable  cargoes,  and  the  iron  and  machinery  for 
two  river  steamers.  The  third  ship  arrived  safely,  and  a 
steamer  which  she  brought  was  put  together  during  the  winter. 
It  struck  a  rock  and  sunk  on  its  first  voyage  up  the  river. 
The  misfortunes  of  the  company  in  following  years  did  not 
come  quite  as  thick,  but  their  number  was  ample. 

The  company's  dividends  were  invariably  Hibernian.  It 
lost  money  from  the  beginning,  and  after  spending  two  and  a 
half  million  dollars,  closed  its  affairs  and  went  up  in  a  bal- 
loon. 

The  Russian  government  has  been  disappointed  in  the  re- 
sult of  opening  the  Amoor.  Ten  years  ago  it  was  thought  a 
great  commerce  would  spring  up,  but  the  result  has  been 
otherwise.  There  can  be  no  traffic  where  there  are  no  people 
to  trade  with,  and  when  the  Amoor  was  opened  the  country 
was  little  better  than  a  wilderness.  The  natives  were  not  a 
mercantile  community.  There  was  only  one  Manjour  city  on 
the"  bank  of  the  Amoor,  and  for  some  time  its  people  were 
not  allowed  to  trade  with  Russians.  Even  when  it  was 
opened  it  had  no  important  commerce,  as  it  was  far  removed 
from  the  silk,  tea,  or  porcelain  districts  of  China.  Plainly 
the  dependence  must  be  upon  colonization. 

The  Amoor  was  peopled  under  government  patronage, 
many  settlers  coming  from  the  Trans-Baikal  province,  and 
others  from  European  Russia.  Nearly  all  were  poor  and 
brought  very  little  money  to  their  new  homes.  Many  were 
Cossacks  and  soldiers,  and  not  reconciled  to  hard  labor. 
During  the  first  two  years  of  their  residence  the  Amoor  col- 
onists were  supplied  with  flour  at  government  expense,  but 
after  that  it  was  expected  they  could  support  themselves. 
Most  of  the  colonies  were  half  military  in  their  character, 
being  composed  of  Cossacks,  with  their  families.  On  the 
lower  part  of  the  Amoor,  outside  the  military  posts,  the  set- 
tlers were  peasants. 


AGRICULTURE   AND   THE   FORESTS.  119 

Flour  was  carried  from  St.  Petersburg  to  the  Amoor  to 
supply  the  garrison  and  the  newly  arrived  settlers.  The  pro- 
duction is  not  yet  sufficient  for  the  population,  and  when  I 
was  at  Nicolayevsk  I  saw  flour  just  landed  from  Cronstadt. 
The  settlers  had  generally  reached  the  self-sustaining  point, 
but  they  did  not  produce  enough  to  feed  the  military  and  naval 
force.    Until  they  do  this  the  Amoor  will  be  unprofitable. 

On  the  upper  Amoor  flour  was  formerly  brought  from  the 
Trans-Baikal  province  to  supply  the  settlements  down  to  Ha- 
barofka.  In  1866  there  was  a  short  crop  in  that  province 
and  a  good  one  on  the  upper  Amoor.  A  large  quantity  of 
wheat  and  rye, — I  was  told  fifty  thousand  bushels, — was 
taken  to  the  Trans-Baikal  and  sold  there.  On  the  whole  the 
Amoor  country  is  very  good  for  agriculture,  and  will  sustain 
itself  in  time. 

The  import  trade  is  chiefly  in  American  and  German  hands, 
and  comprises  miscellaneous  goods,  of  which  they  told  me  at 
least  fifty  per  cent,  were  wines  and  intoxicating  liquors ! 
The  Russian  emperor  should  make  intemperance  a  penal  of- 
fence and  issue  an  edict  against  it. 

A  Boston  house  was  the  first  foreign  one  opened  here,  and 
then  came  a  German  one.  Others  followed,  principally  from 
America,  the  Sandwich  Islands,  Hamburg,  and  Bremen. 
Most  of  the  Americans  have  retired  from  the  field,  two  were 
closing  when  I  was  at  the  Amoor,  and  Mr.  Boardman's  was 
the  only  house  in  full  operation.  There  were  three  German 
establishments,  and  another  of  a  German-American  character. 

All  the  cereals  can  be  grown  on  the  Amoor,  and  the  yield 
is  said  to  be  very  good.  When  its  production  is  developed, 
wheat  can  be  exported  to  China  and  the  Sandwich  Islands  at 
a  good  profit.  Until  1864  the  government  prohibited  the  ex- 
port of  timber,  although  it  had  inexhaustible  quantities  grow- 
ing on  the  Amoor  and  its  tributaries.  I  saw  at  Nicolayevsk 
and  elsewhere  oak  and  ash  of  excellent  quality.  The  former 
was  not  as  tough  as  New  England  oak,  but  the  ash  could 
hardly  be  excelled  anywhere,  and  I  was  surprised  to  learn 
that  no  one  had  attempted  its  export  to  California,  where 


120  PISCATORIAL  SWINE. 

good  timber  for  wagons  and  similar  work  is  altogether  want- 
ing. Pine  trees  are  large,  straight,  tough,  and  good-fibred. 
They  ought  to  compete  in  Chinese  ports  with  pine  lumber 
from  elsewhere. 

There  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  oak,  the  Maackia,  suitable  for 
cabinet  work.    Some  exports  of  wool,  hides,  and  tallow  have 

been  made,  but  none  of 
importance.  One  cargo 
of  ice  has  been  sent  to 
China,  but  it  melted  on  the 
way  from  improper  pack- 
ing. A  Hong  Kong  mer- 
chant once  ordered  a  cargo 
of  hams  from  the  Amoor, 
and  when  he  received  it 
and  opened  the  barrels  he 
found  they  contained  noth- 
ing but  bones.  As  the 
bone  market  was  low  at 
that  time  he  did  not  repeat 
his  order. 

Flax  and  hemp  will  grow 
here,  and  might  become 
profitable  exports.  There 
is  excellent  grazing  land 
and  no  lack  of  pasturage, 
but  at  present  bears  make  fearful  havoc  among  the  cattle  and 
sheep.  In  some  localities  tigers  are  numerous,  particularly 
among  the  Buryea  Mountains,  where  the  Cossacks  make  a 
profession  of  hunting  them.  The  tiger  is  not  likely  to  be- 
come an  article  of  commerce,  but  on  the  contrary  is  calcu- 
lated to  retard  civilization. 

With  increased  agriculture,  pork  can  be  raised  and  cured, 
and  the  Russians  might  find  it  to  their  advantage  to  introduce 
Indian  corn,  now  almost  unknown  on  the  Amoor.  At  present 
hogs  on  the  lower  Amoor  subsist  largely  on  fish,  and  the  pork 
has  a  very  unpleasant  flavor.    The  steward  of,  the  Variag 


NOTHING  BUT  BONES 


{ 


STORIES   OF   RUSSIAN   PECULATION.  121 

told  me  that  in  1865,  when  at  De  Castries,  he  had  two  small 
pigs  from  Japan.  A  vessel  just  from  the  Amoor  had  a  large 
hog  which  had  been  purchased  at  Nicolayevsk. 

The  captain  of  the  ship  offered  his  hog  for  the  two  pigs,  on 
the  plea  that  he  wished  to  keep  them  during  his  voyage.  As 
the  hog  was  three  times  the  weight  of  the  pigs  the  steward 
gladly  accepted  the  proposal,  and  wondered  how  a  man  who 
made  so  absurd  a  trade  could  be  captain  of  a  ship.  On  kill- 
ing his  prize  he  found  the  pork  so  fishy  in  flavor  that  nobody 
could  eat  it.    The  whole  hog  went  literally  to  the  dogs. 

Nicolayevsk  is  a  free  port  of  entry,  and  there  are  no  duties 
upon  merchandise  anywhere  in  Siberia  east  of  Lake  Baikal. 
Since  the  opening  of  commerce,  in  1865,  the  number  of  ships 
arriving  annually  varies  from  six  or  eight  to  nearly  forty. 
In  1866  there  were  twenty-three  vessels  on  government,  and 
fifteen  on  private  account.  The  government  vessels  brought 
flour,  salt,  lead,  iron,  machinery,  telegraph  material,  army 
and  navy  equipments,  and  a  thousand  and  one  articles  in- 
cluded under  the  head  of  '  government  stores.'  The  private 
ones,  (three  of  them  American,)  brought  miscellaneous  car- 
goes for  the  mercantile  community.  There  were  no  wrecks 
in  that  year,  or  at  any  rate,  none  up  to  the  time  of  my  de- 
parture. 

At  the  Amoor  I  first  began  to  hear  those  stories  of  pecula- 
tion that  greet  every  traveler  in  Russia.  According  to  my 
informants  there  were  many  deficiencies  in  official  depart- 
ments, and  very  often  losses  were  ascribed  to  6  leakage,' 
'  breakage,'  and  damage  of  different  kinds.  "  Did  you  ever 
hear,"  said  a  gentleman  to  me,  "  of  rats  devouring  window- 
glass,  or  of  anchors  and  boiler  iron  blowing  away  in  the 
wind  ? "  However  startling  such  phenomena,  he  declared  they 
had  been  known  at  Nicolayevsk  and  elsewhere  in  the  empire. 
I  think  if  all  the  truth  were  revealed  we  might  learn  of  equally 
strange  occurrences  in  America  during  the  late  war. 

The  Russians  have  explored  very  thoroughly  the  coast  of 
Manjouria  in  search  of  good  harbors.  Below  De  Castries  the 
first  of  importance  is  Barracouta  Bay,  in  Latitude  49°.  The 


122  MODE   OF   HARNESSING  HORSES. 

government  made  a  settlement  there  in  1853,  but  subsequently 
abandoned  it  for  Olga  Bay,  six  degrees  further  south.  Vla- 
divostok, or  Dominion  of  the  East,  was  occupied  in  1857,  and 
a  naval  station  commenced.  A  few  years  later,  Posyet  was 
founded  near  the  head  of  the  Corean  peninsula,  and  is  now 
growing  rapidly.  It  has  one  of  the  finest  harbors  on  the 
Japan  Sea,  completely  sheltered,  easily  defended,  and  afford- 
ing superior  facilities  for  repairing  ships  of  war  or  commerce. 
It  is  free  from  ice  the  entire  year,  and  has  a  little  cove  or  bay 
that  could  be  converted  into  a  dry  dock  at  small  expense. 

In  1865  Posyet  was  visited  by  ten  merchant  vessels  ;  it  ex- 
ported fifteen  thousand  poods  of  beche  de  mer,  the  little  fish 
formerly  the  monopoly  of  the  Feejees,  and  of  which  John 
Chinaman  is  very  fond.  It  exported  ten  thousand  poods  of 
bean  cake,  and  eleven  times  that  quantity  of  a  peculiar  sea- 
grass  eaten  by  the  Celestials.  Ginseng  root  was  also  an  ar- 
ticle of  commerce  between  Posyet  and  Shanghae.  Russia 
appears  in  earnest  about  the  development  of  the  Manjourian 
coast,  and  is  making  many  efforts  for  that  object.  The  tele- 
graph is  completed  from  Nicolayevsk  to  the  new  seaport,  and 
a  post  route  has  been  established  along  the  Ousuree. 

From  San  Francisco  to  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor  I  did  not 
see  a  wheeled  vehicle,  with  the  exception  of  a  hand  cart  and 
a  dog  wagon.  At  Nicolayevsk  there  were  horses,  carts,  and 
carriages,  and  I  had  my  first  experience  of  a  horse  harnessed 
with  the  Russian  yoke.  The  theory  of  the  yoke  is,  that  it 
keeps  the  shafts  away  from  the  animal's  sides,  and  enables 
him  to  exert  more  strength  than  when  closely  hedged.  I 
cannot  give  a  positive  opinion  on  this  point,  but  believe  the 
Russians  are  correct.  The  yoke  standing  high  above  the 
horse's  head  and  touching  him  nowhere,  has  a  curious  ap- 
pearance when  first  seen.  I  never  could  get  over  the  idea 
while  looking  at  a  dray  in  motion,  that  the  horse  was  en- 
deavoring to  walk  through  an  arched  gateway  and  taking  it 
along  with  him. 

The  shafts  were  wide  apart  and  attached  by  straps  to  the 
horse's  collar.    All  the  tension  came  through  the  shafts,  and 


RIDE   IN   A   PRIVATE  CARRIAGE. 


123 


these  were  strengthened  by  ropes  that  extended  to  the  ends 
of  the  forward  axle.  Harnesses  had  a  shabby, 6  fixed  up ?  ap- 
pearance, with  a  good  deal  of  rope  in  their  composition. 
Why  they  did  not  go  to  pieces  or  crumble  to  nothing,  like  the 
deacon's  One  Horse  Shay,  was  a  mystery. 

Before  leaving  Nicolayevsk  I  enjoyed  a  ride  in  one  of  its 
private  carriages.  The  vehicle  was  open,  its  floor  quite  low, 
and  the  wheels  small.  We  had  two  horses,  one  between  the 
shafts  and  wearing  the  inevitable  yoke.  The  other  was  out- 
side, and  attached  to  an  iron  single-tree  over  the  forward 
wheel.  Three  horses  can  be  driven  abreast  on  this  kind  of 
carriage. 

The  shaft  horse  trotted,  while  the  other  galloped,  holding 
his  head  very  low  and  turned  outward.  This  is  due  to  a 
check  rein,  which  keeps  him  in  a  position  hardly  natural. 
The  orthodox  mode  in  Russia  is  to  have  the  shaft  horse  trot- 
ting while  the  other  runs  as  described ;  the  difference  in  the 
motion  gives  an  attractive  and  dashy  appearance  to  the  turn- 
out. Existence  would  be  incomplete  to  a  Russian  without  an 
equipage,  and  if  he  cannot  own  one  he  keeps  it  on  hire.  The 
gayety  of  Russian  cities  in  winter  and  summer  is  largely  due 
to  the  number  of  private  vehicles  in  constant  motion  through 
the  streets. 


CHAPTEE  XI. 


I ARRANGED  to  ascend  the  Amoor  on  the  steamer  Ingo- 
dah, which  was  appointed  to  start  on  the  eighteenth  of 
September.  My  friend  Anossoff  remained  at  Nicolayevsk 
during  the  winter,  instead  of  proceeding  to  Irkutsk  as  I  had 
fondly  hoped.  I  found  a  compagnon  du  voyage  in  Captain 
Borasdine,  of  General  Korsackoff's  staff.  In  a  drenching 
rain  on  the  afternoon  of  the  seventeenth,  we  carried  our  bag- 
gage to  the  Ingodah,  which  lay  half  a  mile  from  shore.  We 
reached  the  steamer  after  about  twenty  minutes  pulling  in  a 
whale-boat  and  shipping  a  barrel  of  water  through  the  care- 
lessness of  an  oarsman. 

At  Nicolayevsk  the  Amoor  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  wide, 
with  a  depth  of  twenty  to  thirty-five  feet  in  the  channel.  I 
asked  a  resident  what  he  thought  the  average  rapidity  of  the 
current  in  front  of  the  town. 

"  When  you  look  at  it  or  float  with  it,"  said  he,  "  I  think 
it  is  about  three  and  a  half  miles.  If  you  go  against  it  you 
find  it  not  an  inch  less  than  five  miles." 

The  rowers  had  no  light  task  to  stem  the  rapid  stream,  and 
I  think  it  was  about  like  the  Mississippi  at  Memphis. 

The  boat  was  to  leave  early  in  the  morning.  I  took  a  fare- 
well dinner  with  Mr.  Chase,  and  at  ten  o'clock  received  a 
note  from  Borasdine  announcing  his  readiness  to  go  to  the 
steamer.  Anossoff,  Chase,  and  half  a  dozen  others  assem- 
bled to  see  us  off,  and  after  waking  the  echoes  and  watchmen 
on  the  pier,  we  secured  a  skiff  and  reached  the  Ingodah. 
The  rain  was  over,  and  stars  were  peeping  through  occasional 
loop-holes  in  the  clouds. 

(124) 


AN   AMOOROUS  FAREWELL. 


125 


4  Seeing  off'  consumed  much  time  and  more  champagne. 
As  we  left  the  house  I  observed  Chase  and  Anossoff  each  put- 
ting a  bottle  in  his  pocket,  and  remarking  the  excellent 
character  of  their  ballast.  From  the  quantity  that  revealed 
itself  afterward  the  two  bottles  must  have  multiplied,  or  other 
persons  in  the  party  were  equally  provided.  To  send  off  a 
friend  in  Russia 
requires  an  a- 
mount  of  health- 
drinking  rarely 
witnessed  in  New 
York  or  Boston. 
If  the  journey  is 
by  land  the  way- 
farer is  escorted  a 
short  distance  on 
his  route,  some- 
times to  the  edge 
of  the  town,  and 
sometimes  to  the 

first  station.  Adieus  are  uttered  over  champagne,  tea,  lunch 
— and  champagne.  It  was  nearly  daybreak  when  our  friends 
gave  us  the  last  hand-shake  and  went  over  the  side.  Watch- 
ing till  their  boat  disappeared  in  the  gloom,  I  sought  the 
cabin,  and  found  the  table  covered  with  a  beggarly  array  of 
empty  bottles  and  a  confused  mass  of  fragmentary  edibles. 
I  retired  to  sleep,  while  the  cabin  boy  cleared  away  the  wreck. 

The  sun  rose  before  our  captain.  When  I  followed  their 
example  we  were  still  at  anchor  and  our  boilers  cold  as  a  re- 
fusal to  a  beggar.  Late  in  the  morning  the  captain  appeared ; 
about  nine  o'clock  fire  was  kindled  in  the  furnace,  and  a  lit- 
tle past  ten  we  were  under  way.  As  our  anchor  rose  and  the 
wheel  began  to  move,  most  of  the  deck  passengers  turned  in 
the  direction  of  the  church  and  devoutly  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross.  As  we  slowly  stemmed  the  current  the  houses  of 
Nicolayevsk  and  the  shipping  in  its  front,  the  smoking  foun- 


SEEING  OFF. 


126 


A   SIBERIAN  STEAMBOAT. 


dries,  and  the  pine-covered  hills,  faded  from  view,  and  with 
my  face  to  the  westward  I  was  fairly  afloat  on  the  Amoor. 

The  Ingodah  was  a  plain,  unvarnished  boat,  a  hundred  and 
ten  feet  long,  and  about  fifteen  feet  beam.  Her  hull  was  of 
boiler  iron,  her  bottom  flat,  and  her  prow  sharp  and  perpen- 
dicular. Her  iron,  wood  work,  and  engines  were  brought  in 
a  sailing  ship  to  the  Amoor  and  there  put  together.  She  had 
two  cabins  forward  and  one  aft,  all  below  deck.  There  was 
a  small  hold  for  storing  baggage  and  freight,  but  the  most  of 
the  latter  was  piled  on  deck.  The  pilot  house  was  over  the 
forward  cabin,  and  contained  a  large  wheel,  two  men,  and  a 
chart  of  the  river.  The  rudder  was  about  the  size  of  a  barn 
door,  and  required  the  strength  of  two  men  to  control  it. 
Had  she  ever  refused  to  obey  her  helm  she  would  have  shown 
an  example  of  remarkable  obstinacy. 

Over  the  after  cabin  there  was  a  cook-house,  where  dwelt 
a  shabby  and  unwholesome  cuisinier.  Between  the  wheels 
was  a  bridge,  occupied  by  the  captain  when  starting  or  stop- 
ping the  boat ;  the  engines,  of  thirty  horse  power,  were  below 
deck,  under  this  bridge.  The  cabins,  without  state  rooms, 
occupied  the  whole  width  of  the  boat.  Wide  seats  with  cush- 
ions extended  around  the  cabins,  and  served  as  beds  at  night. 
Each  passenger  carried  his  own  bedding  and  was  his  own 
chambermaid.  The  furniture  consisted  of  a  fixed  table,  two 
feet  by  ten,  a  dozen  stools,  a  picture  of  a  saint,  a  mirror,  and 
a  boy,  the  latter  article  not  always  at  hand. 

The  cabins  were  unclean,  and  reminded  me  of  the  general 
condition  of  transports  during  our  late  war.  Can  any  phi- 
losopher explain  why  boats  in  the  service  of  government  are 
nearly  always  dirty  ? 

The  personnel  of  the  boat  consisted  of  a  captain,  mate, 
engineer,  two  pilots,  and  eight  or  ten  men.  The  captain  and 
mate  were  in  uniform  when  we  left  port,  but  within  two  hours 
they  appeared  in  ordinary  suits  of  grey.  The  crew  were 
deck  hands,  roustabouts,  or  firemen,  by  turns,  and  when  we 
took  wood  most  of  the  male  deck  passengers  were  required 
to  assist. 


STEAM   NAVIGATION   ON   THE   A  MOOR.  127 

On  American  steamboats  the  after  cabin  is  the  aristocratic 
one  ;  on  the  Amoor  the  case  is  reversed.  The  steerage  pas- 
sengers lived,  moved,  and  had  their  being  and  baggage  aft 
the  engine,  while  their  betters  were  forward,  This  arrange- 
ment gave  the  steerage  the  benefit  of  all  cinders  and  smoke, 
unless  the  wind  was  abeam  or  astern. 

Steam  navigation  on  the  Amoor  dates  from  1854.  In  that 
year  two  wooden  boats,  the  Shilka  and  the  Argoon,  were  con- 
structed on  the  Shilka  river,  preparatory  to  the  grand  expe- 
dition of  General  Mouravieff.  Their  timber  was  cut  in  the 
forests  of  the  Shilka,  and  their  engines  were  constructed  at 
Petrovsky-Zavod.  The  Argoon  was  the  first  to  descend, 
leaving  Shilikinsk  on  the  27th  of  May,  1854,  and  bringing 
the  Governor  General  and  his  staff.  It  was  accompanied  by 
fifty  barges  and  a  great  many  rafts  loaded  with  military  forces 
to  occupy  the  Amoor,  and  with  provisions  for  the  Pacific  fleet. 
The  Shilka  descended  a  few  months  later.  She  was  running 
in  1866,  but  the  Argoon,  the  pioneer,  existed  less  than  a  de- 
cade. In  1866  there  were  twenty-two  steamers  on  the  Amoor, 
all  but  four  belonging  to  the  government. 

The  government  boats  are  engaged  in  transporting  freight, 
supplies,  soldiers,' and  military  stores  generally,  and  carrying 
the  mail.  They  carry  passengers  and  private  freight  at  fixed 
rates,  but  do  not  give  insurance  against  fire  or  accidents  of 
navigation.  Passengers  contract  with  the  captain  or  steward 
for  subsistence  while  on  board.  Deck  passengers  generally 
support  themselves,  but  can  buy  provisions  on  the  boat  if  they 
wish.  The  steward  may  keep  wines  and  other  beverages  for 
sale  by  the  bottle,  but  he  cannot  maintain  a  bar.  He  has 
various  little  speculations  of  his  own  and  does  not  feed  his 
customers  liberally.  On  the  Ingodah  the  steward  purchased 
eggs  at  every  village,  and  expected  to  sell  them  at  a  large 
profit  in  Nicolayevsk.  When  we  left  him  he  had  at  least  ten 
bushels  on  hand,  but  he  never  furnished  eggs  to  us  unless  we 
paid  extra  for  them. 

One  cabin  was  assigned  to  Borasdine  and  myself,  save  at 
meal  times,  when  two  other  passengers  were  present.  One 


128  MISHAPS   TO   EXPRESS  PARCELS. 


end  of  it  was  filled  with  the  mail,  of  which  there  were  eight 
bags,  each  as  large  as  a  Saratoga  trunk  and  as  difficult  to 
handle.  The  Russian  government  performs  an  'express' 
service  and  transports  freight  by  mail ;  it  receives  parcels  in 
any  part  of  the  empire  and  agrees  to  deliver  them  in  any 
other  part  desired.  From  Nicolayevsk  to  St.  Petersburg  the 
charges  are  twenty-five  copecks  (cents)  a  pound,  the  distance 
being  seven  thousand  miles.  It  gives  receipts  for  the  articles, 
and  will  insure  them  at  a  charge  of  two  per  cent,  on  their 
value. 

Goods  of  any  kind  can  be  sent  by  post  through  Russia  just 
as  by  express  in  America.  Captain  Lund  sent  a  package 
containing  fifty  sable  skins  to  his  brother  in  Cronstadt,  and 
another  with  a  silk  dress  pattern  to  a  lady  in  St.  Petersburg. 
In  the  mail  on  the  Ingodah  there  were  twelve  hundred  pounds 
of  sable  fur  sent  by  Mr.  Chase  to  his  agent  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Money  to  any  amount  can  be  remitted,  and  its  delivery  in- 
sured. I  have  known  twenty  thousand  roubles  sent  on  a  sin- 
gle order. 

Parcels  for  transportation  by  post  must  be  carefully  and 
securely  packed.  Furs,  silks,  clothing,  and  all  things  of  that 
class  are  enveloped  in  repeated  layers  of  oil  cloth  and  canvas 
to  exclude  water  and  guard  against  abrasion.  Light  articles, 
like  bonnets,  must  be  packed  with  abundance  of  paper  filling 
them  to  their  proper  shape,  and  very  securely  boxed.  A 
Siberian  lady  once  told  me  that  a  friend  in  St.  Petersburg 
sent  her  a  lot  of  bonnets,  laces,  and  other  finery  purchased 
at  great  expense.  She  waited  a  long  time  with  feminine 
anxiety,  and  was  delighted  when  told  her  box  was  at  the  post 
office.  What  was  her  disappointment  to  find  the  articles  had 
been  packed  in  a  light  case  which  was  completely  smashed. 
She  never  made  use  of  any  part  of  its  contents. 

In  crossing  Siberian  rivers  the  mail  is  sometimes  wet,  and 
it  is  a  good  precaution  to  make  packages  waterproof.  A 
package  of  letters  for  New  York  from  Nicolayevsk  I  envel- 
oped in  canvas,  by  advice  of  Russian  friends,  and  it  went 
through  unharmed. 


THE   DAY   OP  DEPARTURE. 


129 


The  post  wagons  are  changed  at  every  station,  and  the 
mail  while  being  transferred  is  not  handled  with  care.  Frail 
articles  must  be  boxed  so  that  no  tossing  will  injure  them. 
My  lady  friend  told  me  of  a  bride  who  ordered  her  trousseau 
from  St.  Petersburg  and  prepared  for  a  magnificent  wedding. 
The  precious  property  arrived  forty-eight  hours  before  the 
time  fixed  for  the  ceremony.  Moving  accidents  by  flood  and 
field  had  occurred.  The  bridal  paraphernalia  was  soaked, 
crushed,  and  reduced  to  a  mass  that  no  one  could  resolve 
into  its  original  elements.  The  wedding  was  postponed  and 
a  new  supply  of  goods  ordered. 

The  mail  is  always  in  charge  of  a  postillion,  who  is  gen- 
erally a  Cossack,  and  his  duty  is  much  like  that  of  a  mail 
agent  in  other  countries.  He  delivers  and  receives  the  sacks 
of  matter  at  the  post  offices,  and  guards  them  on  the  road. 
During  our  voyage  on  the  Ingodah  there  was  no  supervision 
over  the  mail  bags  after  they  were  deposited  in  our  cabin.  I 
passed  many  hours  in  their  companionship,  and  if  Borasdine 
and  I  had  chosen  to  rifle  them  we  could  have  done  so  at  our 
leisure.  Possibly  an  escape  from  the  penalties  of  the  law 
would  have  been  less  easy. 

Our  cook  was  an  elderly  personage,  with  thin  hair,  a  yellow 
beard,  and  a  much  neglected  toilet.  On  the  first  morning  I 
saw  him  at  his  ablutions,  and  was  not  altogether  pleased  with 
his  manner.  He  took  a  half-tumbler  of  water  in  his  mouth 
and  then  squirted  the  fluid  over  his  hands,  rubbing  them 
meanwhile  with  invisible  soap.  He  was  quite  skillful,  but  I 
could  never  relish  his  dinners  if  I  had  seen  him  any  time 
within  six  hours.  His  general  appearance  was  that  of  having 
slept  in  a  gutter  without  being  shaken  afterwards. 

The  day  of  our  departure  from  Nicolayevsk  was  like  the 
best  of  our  Indian  summer.  There  was  but  little  wind,  the 
faintest  breath  coming  now  and  then  from  the  hills  on  the 
southern  bank.  The  air  was  of  a  genial  warmth,  the  sky 
free  from  clouds  and  only  faintly  dimmed  with  the  haze 
around  the  horizon.  The  forest  was  in  the  mellow  tints  of 
autumn,  and  the  wide  expanse  of  foliferous  trees,  dotted  at 
9 


130  NATIVE   BOATS   AND  HOUSES. 


frequent  intervals  with  the  evergreen  pine,  rivalled  the  Oc- 
tober hues  of  our  New  England  landscape.  Hills  and  low 
mountains  rose  on  both  banks  of  the  river  and  made  a  beau- 
tiful picture.  The  hills,  covered  with  forest  from  base  to 
summit,  sloped  gently  to  the  water's  edge  or  retreated  here 
and  there  behind  bits  of  green  meadow.  In  the  distance  was 
a  background  of  blue  mountains  glowing  in  sunshine  or  dark 
in  shadow,  and  varying  in  outline  as  we  moved  slowly  along. 
The  river  was  ruffled  only  by  the  ripples  of  the  current  or 
the  motion  of  our  boat  through  the  water.  Just  a  year  earlier 
I  descended  the  Saint  Lawrence  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Quebec. 
I  saw  nothing  on  the  great  Canadian  river  that  equaled  the 
scenery  of  my  first  day's  voyage  on  the  Amoor. 

Soon  after  leaving  Nicolayevsk  we  met  several  loads  of  hay 
floating  with  the  current  to  a  market  at  the  town.  On  the 
meadows  along  the  river  the  grass  is  luxuriant,  and  hay  re- 
quires only  the  labor  of  cutting  and  curing.  During  the  day 
we  passed  several  points  where  haymaking  was  in  progress. 
Cutting  was  performed  with  an  instrument  resembling  the 
short  scythe  used  in  America  for  cutting  bushes.  After  it 
was  dried,  the  hay  was  brought  to  the  river  bank  on  dray-like 
carts.  An  American  hay  wagon  would  have  accomplished 
twice  as  much  with  equal  labor. 

The  hay  is  like  New  England  hay  from  natural  meadows, 
and  is  delivered  at  Nicolayevsk  for  six  or  eight  dollars  a  ton. 
Cattle  and  horses  thrive  upon  it,  if  I  may  judge  by  the  con- 
dition of  the  stock  I  saw.  For  its  transportation  two  flat- 
bottomed  boats  are  employed,  and  held  about  twelve  feet 
apart  by  timbers.  A  floor  on  these  timbers  and  over  the 
boats  serves  to  keep  the  hay  dry.  Men  are  stationed  at  both 
ends  of  the  boats,  and  when  once  in  the  stream  there  is  little 
to  do  beside  floating  with  the  current.  A  mile  distant  one 
of  these  barges  appears  like  a  haystack  which  an  accident 
has  set  adrift. 

We  saw  many  Gilyak  boats  descending  the  river  with  the 
current  or  struggling  to  ascend  it.  The  Gilyaks  form  the 
native  population  in  this  region  and  occupy  thirty-nine  vil- 


A   GIL  YAK  VILLAGE. 


131 


lages  with  about  two  thousand  inhabitants.  The  villages  are 
on  both  banks  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  Mariensk,  and 
out  of  the  reach  of  all  inundations.  Distance  lends  enchant- 
ment to  the  view  of  their  houses,  which  will  not  bear  close 
inspection. 

Some  of  the  houses  might  contain  a  half  dozen  families  of 
ordinary  size,  and  were  well  adapted  to  the  climate.  While 
we  took  wood  at  a  Gilyak  village  I  embraced  the  opportunity 


A  GILYAK  VILLAGE. 


to  visit  the  aboriginals.  The  village  contained  a  dozen  dwell- 
ings and  several  fish-houses.  The  buildings  were  of  logs  or 
poles,  split  in  halves  or  used  whole,  and  were  roofed  with 
poles  covered  with  a  thatch  of  long  grass  to  exclude  rain  and 
cold.  Some  of  the  dwelling  houses  had  the  solid  earth  for 
floors,  while  others  had  floorings  of  hewn  planks. 

The  store  houses  were  elevated  on  posts  like  those  of  an 
American  '  corn  barn,'  and  were  wider  and  lower  than  the 
dwellings.  Each  storehouse  had  a  platform  in  front  where 
canoes,  fishing  nets,  and  other  portable  property  were  stowed. 


132 


A   VARIETY   OF  SMELLS. 


These  buildings  were  the  receptacles  of  dried  fish  for  the 
winter  use  of  dogs  and  their  owners.  The  elevation  of  the 
floor  serves  to  protect  the  contents  from  dogs  and  wild  ani- 
mals. I  was  told  that  no  locks  were  used  and  that  theft  was 
a  crime  unknown. 

The  dwellings  were  generally  divided  into  two  apartments  ; 
one  a  sort  of  ante  room  and  receptacle  of  house-keeping 
goods,  and  the  other  the  place  of  residence.  Pots,  kettles, 
knives,  and  wooden  pans  were  the  principal  articles  of  house- 
hold use  I  discovered.  At  the  storehouses  there  were  sev- 
eral fish-baskets  of  birch  or  willow  twigs.  A  Gilyak  gentle- 
man ,does  not  permit  fire  carried  into  or  out  of  his  house,  not 
even  in  a  pipe.  This  is  not  owing  to  his  fear  of  conflagra- 
tions, but  to  a  superstition  that  such  an  occurrence  may  bring 
him  ill  luck  in  hunting  or  fishing. 

It  was  in  the  season  of  curing  fish,  and  the  stench  that 
greeted  my  nostrils  was  by  no  means  delightful.  Visits  to 
dwellings  or  magazines  would  have  been  much  easier  had  I 
possessed  a  sponge  saturated  with  cologne  water.  Fish  were 
in  various  stages  of  preparation,  some  just  hung  upon  poles, 
while  others  were  nearly  ready  for  the  magazine.  The  man- 
ner of  preparation  is  much  the  same  as  in  Kamchatka,  save 
that  the  largest  fish  are  skinned  before  being  cut  into  strips. 
The  poorest  qualities  go  to  the  dogs,  and  the  best  are  reserved 
for  bipeds. 

Though  the  natives  do  the  most  of  the  fishing  on  the 
Amoor,  they  do  not  have  a  monopoly  of  it,  as  some  of  the 
Russians  indulge  in  the  sport.  One  old  fellow  that  I  saw 
had  a  boat  so  full  of  salmon  that  there  was  no  room  for 
more.  Now  and  then  a  fish  went  overboard,  causing  an  ex- 
pression on  the  boatman's  face  as  if  he  were  suffering  from  a 
dose  of  astonishment  and  toothache  drops  in  equal  propor- 
tions. 

There  were  dogs  everywhere,  some  lying  around  loose,  and 
others  tied  to  posts  under  the  storehouses.  Some  walked 
about  and  manifested  an  unpleasant  desire  to  taste  the  calves 
of  my  legs.    All  barked,  growled,  and  whined  in  a  chorus 


RUNNING   A   DOG  GAUNTLET. 


133 


like  a  Pawnee  concert.  There  were  big  dogs  and  little  dogs, 
white,  black,  grey,  brown,  and  yellow  dogs,  and  not  one 
friendly.  They  did  not  appear  courageous,  but  I  was  not  al- 
together certain  of  their  dispositions.  Their  owners  sought 
to  quiet  them,  but  they  refused  comfort. 

These  dogs  had  some  peculiarities  of  those  in  Kamchatka, 
but  their  blood  was  evidently  much  debased ;  they  appeared 
to  be  a  mixture  of  Kamchadale,  greyhound,  bull  dog,  and 
cur,  the 
latter  pre- 
dominat- 
ing. They 
are  used 
for  hunt- 
ing at  all 
seasons, 
and  for 
towing 
boats  in 
summer 
and  drag- 
ging sledg- 
es in  winter.  I  was  told  that  since  the  Russian  settlement 
of  the  Amoor  the  Gilyak  dogs  have  degenerated,  in  conse- 
quence of  too  much  familiarity  with  Muscovite  canines.  Ni- 
colayevsk  appeared  quite  cosmopolitan  in  the  matter  of  dogs, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  say  what  breed  was  most  numerous. 
One  day  I  saw  nineteen  in  a  single  group  and  no  two  alike. 

Near  the  entrance  of  the  village  an  old  man  was  repairing 
his  nets,  which  were  stretched  along  a  fence.  He  did  not 
regard  us  as  we  scrutinized  his  jacket  of  blue  cotton,  and  he 
made  no  response  to  a  question  which  Borasdine  asked. 
Further  along  were  two  women  putting  fish  upon  poles  for 
drying,  and  a  third  was  engaged  in  skinning  a  large  salmon. 
The  women  did  not  look  up  from  their  work,  and  were  not 
inclined  to  amiability.  They  had  Mongol  features,  complex- 
ion, eyes,  and  hair,  the  latter  thick  and  black.    Some  of  the 


ABOUT  FULL. 


134 


A   RAPID  DESCENT. 


men  wear  it  plaited  into  queues,  and  others  let  it  grow  pretty 
much  at  will.  Each  woman  I  saw  had  it  braided  in  two 
queues,  which  hung  over  her  shoulders.  In  their  ears  they 
wore  long  pendants,  and  their  dresses  were  generally  arranged 
with  taste. 

When  recalled  by  the  steam  whistle  we  left  the  village  and 
took  a  short  route  down  a  steep  bank  to  the  boat.  In  de- 
scending, my  feet  passed  from  under  me,  and  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  sliding  about  ten  yards  before  stopping.  Had  it  not 
been  for  a  Cossack  who  happened  in  my  way  I  should  have 
entered  the  Amoor  after  the  manner  of  an  otter,  and  afforded 
much  amusement  to  the  spectators,  though  comparatively 
little  to  myself.  The  sliding  attracted  no  special  attention 
as  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  American  custom,  and  I  did  not 
deem  it  prudent  to  make  an  explanation  lest  the  story  might 
bring  discredit  to  my  nationality. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


I HAD  a  curiosity  to  examine  the  ancient  monuments  at 
Tyr,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Amgoon  river,  but  we 
passed  them  in  the  night  without  stopping.  There  are  sev- 
eral traditions  concerning  their  origin.  The  most  authentic 
story  gives  them  an  age  of  six  or  seven  hundred  years.  They 
are  ascribed  to  an  emperor  of  the  Yuen  dynasty  who  visited 
the  mouth  of  the  Amoor  and  commemorated  his  journey  by 
building  the  '  Monastery  of  Eternal  Repose.'  The  ruined 
walls  of  this  monastery  are  visible,  and  the  shape  of  the 
building  can  be  easily  traced.  In  some  places  the  walls  are 
eight  or  ten  feet  high. 

Mr.  Collins  visited  the  spot  in  1857  and  made  sketches  of 
the  monuments.  He  describes  them  situated  on  a  cliff  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  from  which  there  is  a  magnificent 
view  east  and  west  of  the  Amoor  and  the  mountains  around 
it.  Toward  the  south  there  are  dark  forests  and  mountain 
ridges,  some  of  them  rough  and  broken.  To  the  north  is  the 
mouth  of  the  Amgoon,  with  a  delta  of  numerous  islands 
covered  with  forest,  while  in  the  northwest  the  valley  of  the 
river  is  visible  for  a  long  distance.  Back  from  the  cliff  is  a 
table-land  several  miles  in  width. 

This  table-land  is  covered  with  oak,  aspen,  and  fir  trees, 
and  has  a  rich  undergrowth  of  grass  and  flowers.  On  a  point 
of  the  cliff  there  are  two  monuments.  A  third  is  about  four 
hundred  yards  away.  One  is  a  marble  shaft  on  a  granite 
pedestal ;  a  second  is  entirely  granite,  and  the  third  partly 
granite  and  partly  porphyry.  The  first  and  third  bear  in- 
scriptions in  Chinese,  Mongol,  and  Thibetan.    One  inscription 

(135) 


136 


A    RAPID  BOAT. 


announces  that  the  emperor  Yuen  founded  the  Monastery  of 
Eternal  Repose,  and  the  others  record  a  prayer  of  the  Thibet- 
ans. Archimandrate  Awakum,  a  learned  Russian,  who  de- 
ciphered the  inscriptions,  says  the  Thibetan  prayer  Om-mani- 
badme-khum  is  given  in  three  languages.* 

The  lowest  of  the  monuments  is  five  and  the  tallest  eight 
feet  in  height.  Near  them  are  several  flat  stones  with  grooves 
in  their  surface,  which  lead  to  the  supposition  of  their  em- 
ployment for  sacrificial  purposes.  Mr.  Chase  told  me  at  Ni- 
colayevsk  that  he  thought  one  of  the  monuments  was  used  as 
an  altar  when  the  monastery  flourished.  There  are  no  his- 
torical data  regarding  the  ruins  beyond  those  found  on  the 
stones. 

Many  of  the  Russians  and  Chinese  believe  the  site  was 
selected  by  Genghis  Khan,  and  the  monastery  commemorated 
one  of  his  triumphs.  The  natives  look  upon  the  spot  with 
veneration,  and  frequently  go  there  to  practice  their  mysteri- 
ous rites. 

Before  leaving  Nicolayevsk  I  asked  the  captain  of  the  In- 
godah  how  fast  his  boat  could  steam.  "  Oh ! "  said  he,  "  ten 
or  twelve  versts  an  hour."    Accustomed  to  our  habit  of  ex- 

*  Abbe  Hue  in  his  1  Recollections  of  a  journey  through  Thibet  and  Tartary,' 
says  :— 

"  The  Thibetans  are  eminently  religious.  There  exists  at  Lassa  a  touching 
custom  which  we  are  in  some  sort  jealous  of  finding  among  infidels.  In  the 
evening  as  soon  as  the  light  declines,  the  Thibetans,  men,  women,  and  children, 
cease  from  all  business  and  assemble  in  the  principal  parts  of  the  city  and  in  the 
public  squares.  When  the  groups  are  formed,  every  one  sits  down  on  the  ground 
and  begins  slowly  to  chant  his  prayers  in  an  undertone,  and  this  religious  con- 
cert produces  an  immense  and  solemn  harmony  throughout  the  city.  The  first 
time  we  heard  it  we  could  not  help  making  a  sorrowful  comparison  between  this 
pagan  town,  where  all  prayed  in  common,  with  the  cities  of  the  civilized  world, 
where  people  would  blush  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  in  public. 

The  prayer  chanted  in  these  evening  meetings  varies  according  to  the  season 
of  the  year;  that  which  they  recite  to  the  rosary  is  always  the  same,  and  is  only 
composed  of  six  syllables,  om-mani-badmc-khum.  This  formula,  called  briefly  the 
mani,  is  not  only  heard  from  every  mouth,  but  is  everywhere  written  in  the 
streets,  in  the  interior  of  the  houses,  on  every  flag  and  streamer  floating  over  the 
buildings,  printed  in  the  Landzee,  Tartar,  and  Thibetan  characters.  The  Lamas 
assert  that  the  doctrine  contained  in  these  words  is  immense,  and  that  the  whole 
life  of  man  is  not  sufficient  to  measure  its  depth  and  extent." 


A   BEAUTIFUL  LANDSCAPE  SCENE. 


137 


aggerating  the  powers  of  a  steamer,  I  expected  no  more  than 
eight  or  nine  versts.  I  was  surprised  to  find  we  really  made 
twelve  to  fifteen  versts  an  hour.  Ten  thousand  miles  from 
St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans  I  at  last  found  what  I  sought  for 
several  years — a  steamboat  captain  who  understated  the  speed 
of  his  boat !  Justice  to  the  man  requires  the  explanation 
that  he  did  not  own  her. 

My  second  day  on  the  Amoor  was  much  like  the  first  in 
the  general  features  of  the  scenery.    Hills  and  mountains 


ON  THE  AMOOK. 


on  either  hand ;  meadows  bounding  one  bank  or  the  other  at 
frequent  intervals ;  islands  dotted  here  and  there  with  pleas- 
ing irregularity,  or  stretching  for  many  miles  along  the  val- 
ley ;  forests  of  different  trees,  and  each  with  its  own  partic- 
ular hue  ;  a  canopy  of  hazy  sky  meeting  ranges  of  misty 
peaks  in  the  distance ;  these  formed  the  scene.  Some  one 
asks  if  all  the  tongues  in  the  world  can  tell  how  the  birds 
sing  and  the  lilacs  smell.    Equally  difficult  is  it  to  describe 


138 


ADVENTURE   OF   A  TRAVELER. 


with  pen  upon  paper  the  beauties  of  that  Ainoor  scenery. 
Each  bend  of  the  stream  gave  us  a  new  picture.  It  was  the 
unrolling  of  a  magnificent  panorama  such  as  no  man  has  yet 
painted.  And  what  can  I  say  ?  There  was  mountain, 
meadow,  forest,  island,  field,  cliff,  and  valley  ;  there  were  the 
red  leaves  of  the  autumn  maple,  the  yellow  of  the  birch,  the 
deep  green  of  pine  and  hemlock,  the  verdure  of  the  grass, 
the  wide  river  winding  to  reach  the  sea,  and  we  slowly  stem- 
ming its  current.  How  powerless  are  words  to  describe  a 
scene  like  this ! 

The  passengers  of  our  boat  were  of  less  varied  character 
than  those  on  a  Mississippi  steamer.  There  were  two  Rus- 
sian merchants,  who  joined  us  at  meal  times  in  the  cabin  but 
slept  in  the  after  part  of  the  boat.  One  was  owner  of  a  gold 
mine  two  hundred  miles  north  of  Nicolayevsk,  and  a  general 
dealer  in  everything  along  the  Amoor.  He  had  wandered 
over  Mongolia  and  Northern  China  in  the  interest  of  com- 
merce, and  I  greatly  regretted  my  inability  to  talk  with  him 
and  learn  of  the  regions  he  had  visited.  He  was  among  the 
first  to  penetrate  the  Celestial  Empire  under  the  late  com- 
mercial treaty,  and  traveled  so  far  that  he  was  twice  arrested 
by  local  authorities.  He  knew  every  fair  from  Leipsic  to 
Peking,  and  had  been  an  industrious  commercial  traveler 
through  all  Northern  Asia. 

Once,  below  Sansin,  on  the  Songaree  river,  he  was  attacked 
by  thieves  where  he  had  halted  for  the  night.  With  a  single 
exception  his  crew  was  composed  of  Chinese,  and  these  ran 
away  at  the  first  alarm.  With  his  only  Russian  companion 
he  attempted  to  defend  his  property,  but  the  odds  were  too 
great,  especially  as  his  gun  could  not  be  found.  He  was 
made  prisoner  and  compelled  to  witness  the  plundering  of 
his  cargo.  Every  thing  valuable  being  taken,  the  thieves 
left  him. 

In  the  morning  he  proceeded  down  the  stream.  Not  car- 
ing to  engage  another  crew,  he  floated  with  the  current  and 
shared  with  his  Russian  servant  the  labor  of  steering.  The 
next  night  he  was  robbed  again,  and  the  robbers,  angry  at 


WOODING   UP   ON   THE   A  MOOR.  139 


finding  so  little  to  steal,  did  not  leave  him  his  boat.  After 
mnch  difficulty  he  reached  a  native  village  and  procured  an 
old  skiff.    With  this  he  finished  his  journey  unmolested. 

There  were  fifteen  or  twenty  deck  passengers,  a  fair  pro- 
portion being  women  and  children.  Among  the  latter  was  a 
black  eyed  girl  of  fifteen,  in  a  calico  dress  and  wearing  a 
shawl  pinned  around  a  pretty  face.  On  Sunday  morning  she 
appeared  in  neat  apparel  and  was  evidently  desirous  of  being 
seen.  There  were  two  old  men  dressed  in  coarse  cloth  of  a 
»'  butternut '  hue,  that  reminded 
me  of  Arkansas  and  Tennessee. 
The  morning  we  started  one  of 
them  was  seated  on  the  deck 
counting  a  pile  of  copper  coin 
with  great  care.  Two,  three, 
four  times  he  told  it  off,  piece 
by  piece,  and  then  folded  it 
carefully  in  the  corner  of  his 
kerchief.  In  all  he  had  less 
than  a  rouble,  but  he  preserved 
it  as  if  it  were  a  million. 

The  baggage  of  the  deck  pas- 
sengers consisted  of  boxes  and 
household  furniture  in  general, 
not  omitting  the  ever-present 
samovar.  This  baggage  was  piled  on  the  deck  and  was  the 
reclining  place  of  its  owners  by  day.  In  the  night  they  had 
the  privilege  of  the  after  cabin,  where  they  slept  on  the  seats 
and  floor. 

'  Wooding  up'  was  not  performed  with  American  alacrity. 
To  bring  the  steamer  to  land  she  was  anchored  thirty  feet 
from  shore,  and  two  men  in  a  skiff  carried  a  line  to  the  bank 
and  made  it  fast.  With  this  line  and  the  anchor  the  boat 
was  warped  within  ten  feet  of  the  shore,  another  line  keeping 
the  stern  in  position.  An  ordinary  plank  a  foot  wide  made 
the  connection  with  the  solid  earth.  These  boats  have  no 
guards  and  cannot  overhang  the  land  like  our  Western  craft. 


140  RUSSIAN   MEASURE   OF  WOOD. 


Wood  was  generally  piled  fifty,  a  hundred,  or  five  hundred 
feet  from  the  landing  place,  wherever  most  convenient  to  the 
owner.  No  one  seems  to  think  of  placing  it  near  the  water's 
edge  as  with  us  ;  they  told  me  that  this  had  been  done  for- 
merly, and  the  freshets  had  carried  the  wood  away.  The  peas- 
ants, warned  by  their  loss,  are  determined  to  keep  on  the 
safe  side. 

When  all  was  ready  the  deck  hands  went  very  leisurely  to 
work.    Each  carried  a  piece  of  rope  which  he  looped  around 


ration  from  beginning  to  end.  It  took  an  hour  and  a  half 
and  twelve  men  to  bring  about  four  cords  of  wood  on  board. 
There  was  but  one  man  displaying  any  activity,  and  he  was 
falling  from  the  plank  into  the  river. 

The  Russian  measure  of  wood  is  the  sajene  (fathom,)  and 
a  sajene  of  wood  is  a  pile  a  fathom  long,  wide,  and  high. 
The  Russian  marine  fathom  measures  six  feet  like  our  own, 
but  the  land  fathom  is  seven  feet.    It  is  by  the  land  fathom 


WOODING  UP. 


a  few  sticks  of 
wood  as  a  boy  se- 
cures his  bundle 
of  school  books. 
The  rope  was  then 
slung  upon  the 
shoulder,  the  wood 
hanging  over  the 
back  of  the  carrier 
and  occasionally 
coming  loose  from 
its  fastenings.  No 
man  showed  any 
sign  of  hurrying, 
but  all  acted  as  if 
there  were  nothing 
in  the  world  as 
cheap  as  time. 
One  day  I  watched 
the  wooding  ope- 


A   RUSSIAN  VILLAGE. 


141 


that  everything  on  solid  earth  is  measured.  A  stick  seven 
feet  long  is  somewhat  inconvenient,  and  therefore  they  cut 
wood  half  a  fathom  in  length. 

We  landed  our  first  freight  at  Nova  Mihalofski,  a  Russian 
village  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river.  The  village  was 
small  and  the  houses  were  far  from  palatial.  The  inhabitants 
live  by  agriculture  in  summer,  sending  their  produce  to  Ni- 
colayevsk,  and  by  supplying  horses  for  the  postal  service  in 
winter.  I  observed  here  and  at  other  villages  an  example  of 
Russian  economy.  Not  able  to  purchase  whole  panes  of  win- 
dow glass  the  peasants  use  fragments  of  glass  of  any  shape 
they  can  get.  These  are  set  in  pieces  of  birch  bark  cut  to 
the  proper  form  and  the  edges  held  by  wax  or  putty.  The 
bark  is  then  fastened  to  the  window  sash  much  as  a  piece  of 
mosquito  netting  is  fixed  in  a  frame. 

Near  Springfield,  Missouri,  I  once  passed  a  night  in  a 
farmer's  house.  The  dwelling  had  no  windows,  and  when  we 
breakfasted  we  were  obliged  to  keep  the  door  open  to  give  us 
light,  though  the  thermometer  was  at  zero,  with  a  strong  wind 
blowing.  "  I  have  lived  in  this  house  seventeen  years,"  said 
the  owner  ;  "  have  a  good  farm  and  own  four  niggers. "  But 
he  could  not  afford  the  expense  of  a  window,  even  of  the 
Siberian  kind ! 

Ten  or  fifteen  miles  above  this  village  we  reached  Mihalof- 
ski, containing  a  hundred  houses  and  three  or  four  hundred 
inhabitants.  From  the  river  this  town  appeared  quite  pretty 
and  thriving  ;  the  houses  were  substantially  built,  and  many 
had  flower  gardens  in  front  and  neat  fences  around  them. 
Between  the  town  and  the  river  there  were  market  gardens 
in  flourishing  condition,  bearing  most  of  the  vegetables  in 
common  use  through  the  north.  The  town  is  along  a  ridge 
of  easy  ascent,  and  most  of  the  dwellings  are  thirty  or  forty 
feet  above  the  river.  Its  fields  and  gardens  extend  back  from 
the  river  wherever  the  land  is  fertile  and  easiest  cleared  of 
the  forest.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  there  are  mead- 
ows where  the  peasants  engage  in  hay  cutting.  The  general 
appearance  of  the  place  was  like  that  of  an  ordinary  village 


142  WORKING  THE  TELEGRAPH. 


on  the  lower  St.  Lawrence,  though  there  were  many  points 
of  difference. 

In  several  rye  fields  the  grain  had  been  cut  and  stacked. 
Near  our  landing  was  a  mill,  where  a  man,  a  boy,  and  a  horse 
were  manufacturing  meal  at  the  rate  of  seven  poods  or  280 
pounds  a  day.  The  whole  machinery  was  on  the  most  prim- 
itive scale. 

Entering  the  house  of  the  mill-owner  I  found  the  principal 
apartment  quite  neat  and  well  arranged,  its  walls  being  white- 
washed and  decorated  with  cheap  lithographs  and  wood-cuts. 
Among  the  latter  were  several  from  the  Illustrated  London 
News  and  If  Illustration  Universelle.  The  sleeping  room 
was  fitted  with  bunks  like  those  on  steamboats,  though  some- 
what wider.  There  was  very  little  clothing  on  the  beds,  but 
several  sheepskin  coats  and  coverlids  were  hanging  on  a  fence 
in  front  of  the  house. 

Borasdine  had  business  at  the  telegraph  station,  whither  I 
accompanied  him.  The  operator  furnished  a  blank  for  the 
despatch,  and  when  it  was  written  and  paid  for  he  gave  a  re- 
ceipt. The  receipt  stated  the  hour  and  minute  when  the 
despatch  was  taken,  the  name  of  the  sender,  the  place  where 
sent,  the  number  of  words,  and  the  amount  paid.  This  form 
is  invariably  adhered  to  in  the  Siberian  telegraph  service. 

The  telegraph  on  the  lower  Amoor  was  built  under  the 
supervision  of  Colonel  Romanoff  and  was  not  completed  at 
the  time  of  my  visit.  It  commenced  at  Nicolayevsk  and  fol- 
lowed the  south  bank  of  the  Amoor  to  Habarofka  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ousuree.  At  Mariensk  there  was  a  branch  to 
De  Castries,  and  from  Habarofka  the  line  extended  along  the 
Ousuree  and  over  the  mountains  to  Posyet  and  Vladivostok. 
From  Habarofka  it  was  to  follow  the  north  bank  of  the  Amoor 
to  the  Shilka,  to  join  the  line  from  Irkutsk  and  St.  Peters- 
burg. Arrangements  have  been  made  recently  to  lay  a  cable 
from  Posyet  to  Hakodadi  in  Japan,  and  thence  to  Shanghae 
and  other  parts  of  China.  When  the  cable  proposed  by  Major 
Collins  is  laid  across  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  break  in  the 


A   SIBERIAN   SCHOOL  ROOM. 


143 


Amoor  line  is  closed  up,  the  telegraph  circuit  around  the 
globe  vrill  be  complete. 

The  telegraph  is  operated  on  the  Morse  system  with  instru- 
ments of  Prussian  manufacture.  Compared  to  our  American 
instruments  the  Prussian  ones  are  quite  clumsy,  though  they 
did  not  appear  so  in  the  hands  of  the  operators.  The  signal 
key  was  at  least  four  times  as  large  as  ours,  and  could  endure 
any  amount  of  rough  handling.  The  other  machinery  was 
on  a  corresponding  scale. 

A  merchant  who  knew  Mr.  Borasdine  invited  us  to  his  house, 
where  he  brought  a  lunch  of  bread,  cheese,  butter,  and  milk 
for  our  entertainment.  Salted  cucumbers  were  added,  and 
the  repast  ended  with  tea.  In  the  principal  room  there  was 
a  Connecticut  clock  in  one  corner,  and  the  windows  were 
filled  with  flowers,  among  which  were  the  morning  glory, 
aster,  and  verbena.  Several  engravings  adorned  the  walls, 
most  of  them  printed  at  Berlin.  We  purchased  a  loaf  of 
sugar,  and  were  shown  a  bear-skin  seven  feet  long  without 
ears  and  tail.  The  original  and  first  legitimate  owner  of  the 
skin  was  killed  within  a  mile  of  town. 

In  addition  to  his  commerce  and  farming,  this  merchant 
was  superintendent  of  a  school  where  several  Gilyak  boys 
were  educated.  It  was  then  vacation,  and  the  boys  were  en- 
gaged in  catching  their  winter  supply  of  fish.  At  the  mer- 
chant's invitation  we  visited  the  school  buildings. 

The  study  room  was  much  like  a  backwoods  schoolroom  in 
America,  having  rude  benches  and  desks,  but  with  everything 
clean  and  well  made.  The  copy-books  exhibited  fair  speci- 
mens of  penmanship.  On  a  desk  lay  a  well  worn  reading 
book  containing  a  dozen  of  iEsop's  fables  translated  into  Rus- 
sian and  profusely  illustrated.  It  corresponded  to  an  Ameri- 
can '  Second  Reader.' 

There  was  a  dormitory  containing  eight  beds,  and  there 
was  a  wash-room,  a  dining-room,  and  a  kitchen,  the  latter 
separate  from  the  main  building.  Close  at  hand  was  a  forge 
where  the  boys  learned  to  work  in  iron,  and  a  carpenter  shop 
with  a  full  set  of  tools  and  a  turning  lathe.    The  superinten- 


144 


HUNTING   A   WILD  BEAR. 


dent  showed  me  several  articles  made  by  the  pupils,  including 
wooden  spoons,  forks,  bowls,  and  cups,  and  he  gave  me  for  a 
souvenir  a  seal  cut  in  pewter,  bearing  the  word  1  Fulyhelm ' 
in  Russian  letters,  and  having  a  neatly  turned  handle. 

The  school  is  in  operation  ten  months  of  each  year.  The 
superintendent  said  the  children  of  the  Russian  peasants 
could  attend  if  they  wished,  but  very  few  did  so.  The  teacher 
was  a  subordinate  priest  of  the  Eastern  church.  The  expense 
of  the  establishment  was  paid  by  Government,  with  the  de- 
sign of  making  the  boys  useful  in  educating  the  Gilyaks. 

The  Gilyaks  of  the  lower  Amoor  are  pagans,  and  the  at- 
tempts to  Christianize  them  have  not  been  very  successful 
thus  far.  Their  religion  consists  in  the  worship  of  idols  and 
animals,  and  their  priests  or  shamans  correspond  to  the 
'medicine  man'  of  the  American  Indians.  Among  animals 
they  revere  the  tiger,  and  I  was  told  no  instance  was  known 
of  their  killing  one.  The  remains  of  a  man  killed  by  a  tiger 
are  buried  without  ceremony,  but  in  the  funerals  of  other  per- 


BiiAK  IN  PROCESSION. 


sons  the  Gilyaks  follow  very  nearly  the  Chinese  custom.  The 
bear  is  also  sa'cred,  but  his  sanctity  does  not  preserve  him 
from  being  killed. 

In  hunting  this  beast  they  endeavor  to  capture  him  alive ; 
once  taken  and  securely  bound  he  is  placed  in  a  cage  in  the 


THE   MYSTERIES   OF  SHAMANISM. 


145 


middle  of  a  village,  and  there  fattened  upon  fish.  On  fete- 
days  he  is  led,  or  rather  dragged,  in  procession,  and  of  course 
is  thoroughly  muzzled  and  bound.  Finally  a  great  day  ar- 
rives on  which  Bruin  takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  festival 
by  being  killed.  There  are  many  superstitious  ceremonies 
carefully  observed  on  such  occasions.  The  ears,  jawbones, 
and  skull  of  the  bear  are  hung  upon  trees  to  ward  off  evil 
spirits,  and  the  flesh  is  eaten,  as  it  is  supposed  to  make  all 
who  partake  of  it  both  fortunate  and  courageous. 

I  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  any  of  these 
ursine  festivals,  but  I  saw  several  bear  cages  and  looked  upon 
a  bear  while  he  lunched  on  cold  salmon.  If  the  bear  were 
more  gentle  in  his  manners  he  might  become  a  household  pet 
among  the  Gilyaks ;  but  at  present  he  is  not  in  favor,  espec- 
ially where  there  are  small  children. 

Ermines  were  formerly  domesticated  for  catching  rats,  the 
high  price  of  cats  confining  their  possession  to  the  wealthy. 
Cats  have  a  half-religious  character  and  are  treated  with 
great  respect.  Since  the  advent  of  the  Russians  the  supply 
is  very  good.  Before  they  came  the  Manjour  merchants  used 
to  bring  only  male  cats  that  could  not  trouble  themselves 
about  posterity.  The  price  was  sometimes  a  hundred  roubles 
for  a  single  mouser,  and  by  curtailing  the  supply  the  Man- 
jours  kept  the  market  good. 

The  Gilyaks,  like  nearly  all  the  natives  of  Northern  Asia, 
are  addicted  to  Shamanism.  The  shaman  combines  the  dou- 
ble function  of  priest  and  doctor,  ministering  to  the  physical 
and  spiritual  being  at  the  same  time.  When  a  man  is  taken 
sick  he  is  supposed  to  be  attacked  by  an  evil  spirit  and  the 
shaman  is  called  to  practice  exorcism.  There  is  a  distinct 
spirit  for  every  disease  and  he  must  be  propitiated  in  a  par- 
ticular manner.  While  practicing  his  profession  the  shaman 
contorts  his  body  and  dances  like  one  insane,  and  howls  worse 
than  a  dozen  Kamchadale  dogs.  He  is  dressed  in  a  fantastic 
manner  and  beats  a  tambourine  during  his  performance.  To 
accommodate  himself  to  the  different  spirits  he  modulates  his 
voice,  changes  the  character  of  his  dance,  and  alters  his  cos- 
10 


146 


GOOD   AND   EVIL  SPIRITS. 


tumc.  Both  doctor  and  patient  are  generally  decked  with 
wood-shavings  while  the  work  is  going  on. 

Sometimes  an  effigy  of  the  sick  person  is  prepared,  and  the 
spirit  is  charmed  from  the  man  of  flesh  to  the  one  of  straw. 
The  shaman  induces  him  to  take  up  lodgings  in  this  effigy, 
and  the  success  of  his  persuasion  is  apparent  when  the  in- 


PRACT1CE  OF  MEDICINE. 


valid  recovers.  If  the  patient  dies  the  shaman  declares  that 
the  spirit  was  one  over  which  he  had  no  control,  but  he  does 
not  hesitate  to  take  pay  for  his  services. 

A  Russian  traveler  who  witnessed  one  of  these  exorcisms 
said  that  the  shaman  howled  so  fearfully  that  two  Chinese 
merchants  who  were  present  out  of  curiosity  fled  in  very 
terror.  The  gentleman  managed  to  endure  it  to  the  end,  but 
did  not  sleep  well  for  a  week  afterward. 

The  Gilyaks  believe  in  both  good  and  evil  spirits,  but  as 
the  former  do  only  good  it  is  not  thought  necessary  to  pay 
them  any  attention.  All  the  efforts  are  to  induce  the  evil 
spirits  not  to  act.  They  are  supposed  to  have  power  over 
hunting,  fishing,  household  affairs,  and  the  health  and  well- 
being  of  animals  and  men. 


A   VOLUNTARY  SACRIFICE. 


147 


The  shamans  possess  great  power  over  their  superstitious 
subjects,  and  their  commands  are  rarely  refused.  I  heard  of 
an  instance  wherein  a  native  caught  a  fine  sable  and  preserved 
the  skin  as  a  trophy.  Very  soon  a  man  in  the  village  fell  ill. 
The  shaman  after  practicing  his  art  announced  that  the  spirit 
commanded  the  sable  skin  to  be  worn  by  the  doctor  himself. 
The  valuable  fur  was  given  up  without  hesitation.  A  Russian 
traveler  stopping  one  night  in  a  Gilyak  house  discovered  in 
the  morning  that  his  sledge  was  missing,  and  was  gravely 
told  that  the  spirit  had  taken  it. 

In  1814  the  small  pox  raged  in  one  of  the  tribes  living  on 
the  Kolyma  river,  and  the  deaths  from  it  were  numerous. 
The  shamans  practiced  all  their  mysteries  and  invoked  the 
spirits,  but  they  could  not  stop  the  disease.  Finally,  after 
new  invocations,  they  declared  the  evil  spirits  could  not  be 
appeased  without  the  death  of  Kotschen,  a  chief  of  the  tribe. 
This  chief  was  so  generally  loved  and  respected  that  the  peo- 
ple refused  to  obey  the  shamans.  But  as  the  malady  made 
new  progress,  Kotschen  magnanimously  came  forward  and 
was  stabbed  by  his  own  son. 

In  general  the  shamans  are  held  in  check  by  the  belief  that 
should  they  abuse  their  power  they  will  be  long  and  severely 
punished  after  death.  This  punishment  is  supposed  to  occur 
in  a  locality  specially  devoted  to  bad  shamans.  A  good  sha- 
man who  has  performed  wonderful  cures  receives  after  death 
a  magnificent  tomb  to  his  memory. 

The  Russians  think  that  with  educated  Gilyaks  they  can 
succeed  in  winning  the  natives  to  Christianity,  especially  when 
the  missionaries  are  skilled  in  the  useful  arts  of  civilized  life. 
Hence  the  school  in  Mihalofski,  and  it  has  so  far  succeeded 
well  in  the  instruction  of  the  boys.  Russian  and  Gilyak 
children  were  working  in  the  gardens  in  perfect  harmony, 
and  there  was  every  indication  of  good  feeling  between  na- 
tives and  settlers. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


N  leaving  Mihalofski  we  took  the  merchant  and  two 


priests  and  dropped  them  fifteen  miles  above,  at  a  vil- 
lage where  a  church  was  being  dedicated.  The  people  were 
in  their  holiday  costume  and  evidently  awaited  the  priests. 
The  church  was  pointed  out,  nestling  in  the  forest  just  back 
of  the  river  bank.  It  seemed  more  than  large  enough  for 
the  wants  of  the  people,  and  was  the  second  structure  of  the 
kind  in  a  settlement  ten  years  old.  I  have  been  told,  but  I 
presume  not  with  literal  truth,  that  a  church  is  the  first  build- 
ing erected  in  a  Russian  colony. 

At  night  we  ran  until  the  setting  of  the  moon,  and  then 
anchored.  It  is  the  custom  to  anchor  or  tie  up  at  night  un- 
less there  is  a  good  moon  or  very  clear  starlight.  An  hour 
after  we  anchored  the  stars  became  so  bright  that  we  pro- 
ceeded and  ran  until  daylight,  reaching  Mariensk  at  two  in 
the  morning.  I  had  designed  calling  upon  two  gentlemen 
and  a  lady  at  Mariensk,  but  it  is  not  the  fashion  in  Russia  to 
make  visits  between  midnight  and  daybreak.  Borasdine  had 
the  claim  of  old  acquaintance  and  waked  a  friend  for  a  little 


This  town  is  at  the  entrance  of  Keezee  lake,  and  next  to 
Nicolayevsk  is  the  oldest  Russian  settlement  on  the  lower 
Amoor.  It  was  founded  by  the  Russian  American  Company 
in  the  same  year  with  Nicolayevsk,  and  was  a  trading  post 
until  the  military  occupation  of  the  river.  Difficulties  of 
navigation  have  diminished  its  military  importance,  the  prin- 
cipal rendezvous  of  this  region  being  transferred  to  Sofyesk. 

On  an  island  opposite  Mariensk  is.  the  trace  of  a  fortifica- 


talk. 


(148) 


MANJOUR   MERCHANTS   AND    BOATS.  149 

tion  built  by  Stepanoff,  a  Russian  adventurer  who  descended 
the  Amoor  in  1654.  Stepanoff  passed  the  winter  at  this 
point,  and  fortified  himself  to  be  secure  against  the  natives. 
He  seems  to  have  engaged  in  a  general  business  of  filibuster- 
ing on  joint  account  of  himself  and  his  government.  In  the 
winter  of  his  residence  at  this  fortress  he  collected  nearly 
five  thousand  sable  skins  as  a  tribute  to  his  emperor — and 
himself. 

Morning  found  us  at  Sofyesk  taking  a  fresh  supply  of  wood. 
This  town  was  founded  a  few  years  ago,  and  has  a  decided 
appearance  of  newness.  There  is  a  wagon  road  along  the 
shore  of  Keezee  lake  and  across  the  hills  to  De  Castries  Bay. 
Light  draft  steamboats  can  go  within  twelve  miles  of  De 
Castries.  Surveys  have  been  made  with  the  design  of  con- 
necting Keezee  Lake  and  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  by  a  canal. 
A  railway  has  also  been  propos- 
ed, but  neither  enterprise  will  be 
undertaken  for  many  years.  I 
passed  an  hour  with  the  post 
commander,  who  had  just  re- 
ceived a  pile  of  papers  only  two 
months  from  St.  Petersburg,  the 
mail  having  arrived  the  day  be- 
fore. 

The  steamer  Telegraph  lay  at 
the  landing  when  we  arrived ; 
among  her  passengers  was  a 
Manjour  merchant,  who  possess- 
ed an  intelligent  face,  quite  in 
contrast  with  the  sleepy  Gilyaks. 
He  wore  the  Manjour  dress,  con- 
sisting of  wide  trowsers  and  a 
long  robe  reaching  to  his  heels  ; 
his  shoes  and  hat  were  Chinese,  and  his  robe  was  held  at  the 
waist  with  a  silk  cord.  His  hair  was  braided  in  the  Chinese 
fashion,  and  he  sported  a  long  mustache  but  no  beard. 

A  few  versts  above  Sofyesk  we  met  a  Manjour  merchant 


150 


A   MOTLEY  GROUP. 


evidently  on  a  trading  expedition.  He  had  a  boat  about 
twenty-five  feet  long  by  eight  wide,  with  a  single  mast  carry- 
ing a  square  sail.  His  boat  was  full  of  boxes  and  bales  and 
had  a  crew  of  four  men.  A  small  skiff  was  towed  astern 
and  another  alongside.  These  Manjour  merchants  are  quite 
enterprising,  and  engage  in  traffic  for  small  profits  and  large 
risks  when  better  terms  are  not  attainable.  Before  the  Rus- 
sian occupation  all  the  trade  of  the  lower  Amoor  was  in  Man- 
jour hands.  Boats  annually  descended  from  San-Sin  and 
Igoon  bringing  supplies  for  native  use.  Sometimes  a  mer- 
chant would  spend  five  or  six  months  making  his  round 
journey. 

The  merchants  visited  the  villages  on  the  route  and  bar- 
gained their  goods  for  furs.  There  was  an  annual  fair  at  the 
Gilyak  village  of  Pul,  below  Mariensk,  and  this  was  made 
the  center  of  commerce.  The  fair  lasted  ten  days,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  Pul  was  a  miniature  Nijne  Novgorod.  Manjour 
and  Chinese  merchants  met  Japanese  from  the  island  of  Sak- 
halin, Tunguse  from  the  coast  of  the  Ohotsk  Sea,  and  others 
from  the  head  waters  of  the  Zeya  and  Amgoon.  There  were 
Gilyaks  from  the  lower  Amoor  and  various  tribes  of  natives 
from  the  coast  of  Manjouria. 

A  dozen  languages  were  spoken,  and  traffic  was  conducted 
in  a  patois  of  all  the  dialects.  Cloth,  powder,  lead,  knives, 
and  brandy  were  exchanged  for  skins  and  furs.  A  gentleman 
who  attended  one  of  these  fairs  told  me  that  the  scene  was 
full  of  interest  and  abounded  in  amusing  incidents.  Of  late 
years  the  navigation  of  the  Amoor  has  discontinued  the  fair 
of  Pul.  The  Manjour  traders  still  descend  the  river,  but  they 
are  not  as  numerous  as  of  yore. 

With  a  good  glass  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  I  watched 
the  native  process  of  catching  salmon.  The  fishing  stations 
are  generally,  though  not  always,  near  the  villages.  The 
natives  use  gill  nets  and  seines  in  some  localities,  and  scoop 
nets  in  others.  Sometimes  they  build  a  fence  at  right  angles 
to  the  shore,  and  extend  it  twenty  or  thirty  yards  into  the 


NATIVE   MODES   OF  FISHING. 


151 


stream.  This  fence  is  fish-proof,  except  in  a  few  places  where 
holes  are  purposely  left. 

The  natives  lie  in  wait  with  skiffs  and  hand-nets  and  catch 
the  salmon  as  they  attempt  to  pass  these  holes.  I  watched  a 
Gilyak  taking  fish  in 
this  way,  and  think 
he  dipped  them  np  at 
the  rate  of  two  a  min- 
ute ;  when  the  fish 
are  running  well  a 
skiff  can  be  filled  in 
a  short  time.  Some- 
times pens  of  wicker 
work  are  fixed  to  en- 
close the  fish  after 
they  pass  the  holes  in 
the  fence.  The  sal- 
mon in  this  case  has 
a  practical  illustration 
of  life  in  general : 
easy  to  get  into  trou- 
ble but  difficult  to  get 
out  of  it. 

For  catching  stur- 
geon they  use  a  cir- 
cular net  five  feet  across  at  the  opening,  and  shaped  like  a 
shallow  bag.  One  side  of  the  mouth  is  fitted  with  corks  and 
the  other  with  weights  of  lead  or  iron.  Two  canoes  in  mid 
stream  hold  this  net  between  them  at  right  angles  to  the  cur- 
rent. The  sturgeon  descending  the  river  enters  the  trap,  and 
the  net  proceeds  of  the  enterprise  are  divided  between  the 
fishermen. 

It  requires  vision  or  a  guide  to  find  a  fishing  station,  but 
the  sense  of  smell  is  quite  sufficient  to  discover  where  salmon 
are  dressed  and  cured.  The  offal  from  the  fish  creates  an 
unpleasant  stench  and  no  effort  is  made  to  clear  it  away. 
The  natives  and  their  dogs  do  not  consider  the  scent  disagree- 


GILTAK  MAN. 


152 


THE    VALLEY   AND   ITS  ISLANDS. 


able  and  have  no  occasion  to  consult  the  tastes  or  smell  of 
others.  The  first  time-I  visited  one  of  their  fish-curing  places 
I  thought  of  the  western  city  that  had,  after  a  freshet,  <  forty- 
five  distinct  and  different  odors  beside  several  wards  to  hear 
from.' 

Above  Mariensk  the  Amoor  valley  is  often  ten  or  twenty 
miles  mide,  enclosing  whole  labyrinths  of  islands,  some  of 

great  extent.  These 
islands  are  generally 
well  out  of  water  and 
not  liable  to  overflow. 
Very  few  have  the 
temporary  appear- 
ance of  the  islands  of 
the  lower  Mississippi. 
Here  and  there  were 
small  islands  of  slight 
elevation  and  covered 
with  cottonwoods,  pre- 
cisely like  those  grow- 
ing between  Memphis 
and  Cairo. 

The  banks  of  this 
part  of  the  Amoor  do 
not  wash  like  the  al- 
luvial lands  along  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri,  but  are  more 
like  the  shores  of  the  Ohio.  They  are  generally  covered  with 
grass  or  bushes  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water.  There  are 
no  shifting  sand-bars  to  perplex  the  pilot,  but  the  channel  re- 
mains with  little  change  from  year  to  year.  I  saw  very  little 
drift  wood  and  heard  no  mention  of  snags.  The  general  fea- 
tures of  the  scenery  were  much  like  those  below  Mihalofski. 

The  numerous  islands  and  the  labyrinth  of  channels  often 
permit  boats  to  pass  each  other  without  their  captains  know- 
ing it.  One  day  we  saw  a  faint  line  of  smoke  across  an  is- 
land three  or  four  miles  wide ;  watching  it  closely  I  found  it 


AMONG   THE  MOUNTAINS. 


153 


was  in  motion  and  evidently  came  from  a  descending  steam- 
boat. On  another  occasion  we  missed  in  these  channels  a 
boat  our  captain  was  desirous  of  hailing.  Once  while  Gen- 
eral Monravieff  was  ascending  the  river  he  was  passed  by  a 
courier  who  was  bringing  him  important  despatches. 

The  pilot  steers  with  a  chart  of  the  river  before  him,  and 
relies  partly  upon  his  experience  and  partly  upon  the  deline- 
ated route.  Sometimes  channels  used  at  high  water  are  not 
navigable  when  the  river  is  low,  and  some  are  favorable  for 
descent  but  not  for  ascent.  In  general  the  pilotage  is  far 
more  facile  than  on  the  Mississippi,  and  accidents  are  not  fre- 
quent. 

The  peasants  always  came  to  the  bank  where  we  stopped, 
no  matter  what  the  hour.  At  one  place  where  we  took  wood 
at  night  there  Was  a  picturesque  group  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
gathered  around  a  fire ;  men  and  women  talking,  laughing, 
smoking,  and  watching  the  crew  at  work.  The  light  of  the 
fire  poured  full  upon  a  few  figures  and  brought  them  into 
strong  relief,  while  others  were  half  hidden  in  shadow.  Of 
the  men  some  wore  coats  of  sheepskin,  others  Cossack  coats 
of  grey  cloth ;  some  had  caps  of  faded  cloth,  and  others  Tar- 
tar caps  of  black  sheepskin.  Red  beards,  white  beards,  black 
beards,  and  smooth  faces  were  played  upon  by  the  dancing 
flames.  The  women  were  in  hoopless  dresses,  and  held 
shawls  over  their  heads  in  place  of  bonnets. 

A  hundred  versts  above  Sofyesk  the  scenery  changed.  The 
mountains  on  the  south  bank  receded  from  the  river  and  were 
more  broken  and  destitute  of  trees.  Wide  strips  of  lowland 
covered  with  forest  intervened  between  the  mountains  and 
the  shore.  On  the  north  the  general  character  of  the  coun- 
try remained.  I  observed  a  mountain,  wooded  to  the  top  and 
sloping  regularly,  that  had  a  curious  formation  at  its  summit. 
It  was  a  perpendicular  shaft  resembling  Bunker  Hill  Monu- 
ment, and  rising  from  the  highest  point  of  the  mountain ;  it 
appeared  of  perfect  symmetry,  and  seemed  more  like  a  work 
of  art  than  of  nature.  On  the  same  mountain,  half  way 
down  its  side,  was  a  mass  of  rock  with  towers  and  buttresses 


154 


SIBERIAN  BIRDS. 


that  likened  it  to  a  cathedral.  These  formations  were  spec- 
ially curious,  as  there  were  no  more  of  the  kind  in  the  vicin- 
ity. Borasdine  observed  the  rocks  soon  after  I  discovered 
them,  and  at  first  thought  they  were  ancient  monuments. 

There  were  many  birds  along  the  shore.  Very  often  we 
dispersed  flocks  of  ducks  and  sent  them  flying  over  islands 
and  forests  to  places  of  safety.  Snipe  were  numerous,  and 
so  were  several  kinds  of  wading  and  swimming  birds.  Very 
often  we  saw  high  in  air  the  wild  geese  of  Siberia  flying  to 
the  southward  in  those  triangular  squadrons  that  they  form 
everywhere  over  the  world.  These  birds  winter  in  the  south 
of  China,  Siam,  and  India,  while  they  pass  the  summer  north 
of  the  range  of  the  Yablonoi  mountains. 

The  birds  of  the  Amoor  belong  generally  to  the  species 
found  in  the  same  latitudes  of  Europe  and  America,  but  there 
are  some  birds  of  passage  that  are  natives  of  Southern  Asia, 
Japan,  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  even  South  Africa  and  Aus- 
tralia. Seven-tenths  of  the  birds  of  the  Amoor  are  found  in 
Europe,  two-tenths  in  Siberia,  and  one-tenth  in  regions  further 
south.  Some  birds  belong  more  properly  to  America,  such 
as  the  Canada  woodcock  and  the  water  ouzel ;  and  there  are 
several  birds  common  to  the  east  and  west  coasts  of  the  Pa- 
cific. The  naturalists  who  came  here  at  the  Russian  occupa- 
tion found  two  Australian  birds  on  the  Amoor,  two  from 
tropical  and  sub-tropical  Africa,  and  one  from  Southern  Asia. 

The  number  of  stationary  birds  is  not  great,  in  consequence 
of  the  excessive  cold  in  winter.  Mr.  Maack  enumerates 
thirty-nine  species  that  dwell  here  the  entire  year.  They  in- 
clude eagles,  hawks,  jays,  magpies,  crows,  grouse,  owls,  wood- 
peckers, and  some  others.  The  birds  of  passage  generally 
arrive  at  the  end  of  April  or  during  May,  and  leave  in  Sep- 
tember or  October. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  they  come  later  to  Nicolayevsk  than 
to  the  town  of  Yakutsk,  nine  degrees  further  north.  This  is 
due  to  differences  of  climate  and  the  configuration  of  the 
country.  The  lower  Amoor  is  remarkable  for  its  large  quan- 
tities of  snow,  and  at  Nicolayevsk  it  remains  on  the  ground 


A    NATIYE  BOAT. 


155 


till  the  end  of  May.  South  of  the  lower  Amoor  are  the 
Shanalin  mountains,  which  arrest  the  progress  of  birds.  On 
the  upper  Amoor  and  in  Trans-Baikal  very  little  snow  falls, 
and  there  are  no  mountains  of  great  height. 

The  day  after  leaving  Sofyesk  I  observed  a  native  propel- 
ling a  boat  by  pulling  both  oars  together.  On  my  expressing 
surprise  my  companion  said : 

"  We  have  passed  the  country  of  the  Gilyaks  who  pull  their 
oars  alternately,  and  entered  that  of  the  Mangoons  and  Gol- 
dees.  The  manner  of  rowing  distinguishes  the  Gilyaks  from 
all  others." 

The  Mangoons,  Goldees,  and  Gilyaks  differ  in  much  the 
same  way  that  the  tribes  of  American  Indians  are  different. 
They  are  all  of  Tungusian  or  Mongolian  stock,  and  have 
many  traits  and  words  in  common.  Their  features  have  the 
same  general  characteristics  and  their  languages  are  as  much 
alike  as  those  of  a  Cheyenne  and  Comanche.  Each  people 
has  its  peculiar  customs,  such  as  the  style  of  dress,  the  mode 
of  constructing  a  house,  or  rowing  a  boat.  All  are  pagans 
and  indulge  in  Shamanism,  but  each  tribe  has  forms  of  its 
own.  All  are  fishers  and  hunters,  their  principal  support 
being  derived  from  the  river. 

The  Goldee  boat  was  so  much  like  a  Gilyak  one  that  I 
could  see  no  difference.  There  was  no  opportunity  to  exam- 
ine it  closely,  as  we  passed  at  a  distance  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred feet. 

Besides  their  boats  of  wood  the  Goldees  make  canoes  of 
birch  bark,  quite  broad  in  the  middle  and  coming  to  a  point 
at  both  ends.  In  general  appearance  these  canoes  resemble 
those  of  the  Penobscot  and  Canadian  Indians.  The  native 
sits  in  the  middle  of  his  canoe  and  propels  himself  with  a 
double-bladed  oar,  which  he  dips  into  the  water  with  regular 
alternations'  from  one  side  to  the  other.  The  canoes  are  flat 
bottomed  and  very  easy  to  overturn.  A  canoe  is  designed  to 
carry  but  one  man,  though  two  can  be  taken  in  an  emergency. 
When  a  native  sitting  in  one  of  them  spears  a  fish  he  moves 
only  his  arm  and  keeps  his  body  motionless. 


156 


A   POPULOUS  DISTRICT. 


At  the  Russian  village  of  Gorin  there  was  an  Ispravnik 
who  had  charge  of  a  district  containing  nineteen  villages 
with  about  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants.  At  Gorin  the  river 
is  two  or  three  miles  wide,  and  makes  a  graceful  bend.  We 
landed  near  a  pile  of  ash  logs  awaiting  shipment  to  Nicola- 
yevsk.  The  Ispravnik  was  kind  enough  to  give  me  the  model 
of  a  Goldee  canoe  about  eighteen  inches  long  and  complete 
in  all  particulars.  It  was  made  by  one  Anaka  Katonovitch, 
chief  of  an  ancient  Goldee  family,  and  authorized  by  the  em- 
peror of  China  to  wear  the  uniform  of  a  mandarin.  The 
canoe  was  neatly  formed,  and  reflected  favorably  upon  the 
skill  of  its  designer.  I  boxed  it  carefully  and  sent  it  to  Ni- 
colayevsk  for  shipment  to  America. 

The  Ispravnik  controlled  the  district  between  Habarofka 
and  Sofyesk  on  both  banks  of  the  river,  his  power  extending 
over  native  and  Russian  alike.  He  said  that  this  part  of  the 
Amoor  valley  was  very  fertile,  the  yield  of  wheat  and  rye 
being  fifteen  times  the  seed.  The  principal  articles  cultivated 
were  wheat,  rye,  hemp,  and  garden  vegetables,  and  he  thought 
the  grain  product  of  1866  in  his  district  would  be  thirty 
thousand  poods  of  wheat  and  the  same  of  rye.  With  a  pop- 
ulation of  fifteen  hundred  in  a  new  country,  this  result  was 
very  good. 

The  Goldees  do  not  engage  in  agriculture  as  a  business. 
Now  and  then  there  was  a  small  garden,  but  it  was  of  very 
little  importance.  Since  the  Russian  occupation  the  natives 
have  changed  their  allegiance  from  China  to  the  6  White  Czar,' 
as  they  call  the  Muscovite  emperor.  Formerly  they  were 
much  oppressed  by  the  Manjour  officials,  who  displayed  great 
rapacity  in  collecting  tribute.  It  was  no  unusual  occurrence 
for  a  native  to  be  tied  up  and  whipped  to  compel  him  to  bring 
out  all  his  treasures.  The  Goldees  call  the  Manjours  4  rats/ 
in  consequence  of  their  greediness  and  destructive  powers. 

The  Goldees  are  superior  to  the  Gilyaks  in  numbers  and 
intelligence,  and  the  Manjours  of  Igoon  and  vicinity  are  in 
turn  superior  to  the  Goldees.  The  Chinese  are  more  civilized 
than  the  Manjours,  and  call  the  latter  4  dogs.'    The  Manjours 


HABITS   OF   THE  GOLDEES. 


157 


take  revenge  by  applying  the  epithet  to  the  Goldees,  and  these 
transfer  it  to  Mangoons  and  Gilyaks.  The  Mangoons  are  not 
in  large  numbers,  and  live  along  the  river  between  the  Gil- 
yaks  and  Goldees.  Many  of  the  Russian  officials  include 
them  with  the  latter,  and  the  captain  of  the  Ingodah  was  al- 
most unaware  of  their  existence. 

A  peculiar  kind  of  fence  employed  by  the  Russian  settlers 
on  this  part  of  the  Amoor  attracted  my  attention.  Stakes 
were  driven  into  the  ground  a  foot  apart  and  seven  feet  high. 
Willow  sticks  were  then  woven  between  these  stakes  in  a  sort 
of  basket  work.  The  fence  was  impervious  to  any  thing 
larger  than  a  rat,  and  no  sensible  man  would  attempt  climb- 
ing it,  unless  pursued  by  a  bull  or  a  sheriff,  as  the  upper  ends 
of  the  sticks  were  very  sharp  and  about  as  convenient  to  sit 
upon  as  a  row  of  harrow-teeth. 

It  reminded  me  of  a  fence  in  an  American  village  where  I 
once  lived,  that  an  enterprising  fruit-grower  had  put  around 
his  orchard, — a  structure  of  upright  pickets,  and  each  picket 
armed  with  a  nail  in  the  top.  One  night  four  individuals 
bent  on  stealing  apples,  were  confronted  by  the  owner  and  a 
bull-dog  and  forced  to  surrender  or  leap  the  fence.  Three  of 
them  were  "  treed"  by  the  dog  ;  the  fourth  sprang  over  the 
fence,  but  left  the  seat  of  his  trousers  and  the  rear  section  of 
his  shirt,  the  latter  bearing  in  indelible  ink  the  name  of  the 
wearer.  The  circumstantial  evidence  was  so  strong  against 
him  that  he  did  not  attempt  an  alibi,  and  he  was  unable  to 
sit  down  for  nearly  a  fortnight. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

I TOOK  the  first  opportunity  to  enter  a  Goldee  house  and 
study  the  customs  of  the  people.  A  Goldee  dwelling 
for  permanent  habitation  has  four  walls  and  a  roof.  The 
sides  and  ends  are  of  hewn  boards  or  small  poles  made  into 
a  close  fence,  which  is  generally  double  and  has  a  space  six 
or  eight  inches  wide  filled  with  grass  and  leaves.  Inside  and 
out  the  dwelling  is  plastered  with  mud,  and  the  roofs  are 
thatch  or  bark  held  in  place  by  poles  and  stones.  Sometimes 
they  are  entirely  of  poles.  The  doors  are  of  hewn  plank,  and 
can  be  fastened  on  the  inside. 

The  dwellings  are  from  fifteen  to  forty  feet  square,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  family.  In  one  I  found  a  grandfather 
and  his  descendants  ;  thirty  persons  at  least.  There  are  usu- 
ally two  windows,  made  of  fish  skin  or  thin  paper  over  lat- 
tices. Some  windows  were  closed  with  mats  that  could  be 
rolled  up  or  lowered  at  will. 

The  fire-place  has  a  deep  pan  or  kettle  fixed  over  it,  and 
there  is  room  for  a  pot  suspended  from  a  rafter.  Around  the 
room  is  a  divan,  or  low  bench  of  boards  or  wicker  work, 
serving  as  a  sofa  by  day  and  a  bed  at  night.  When  dogs  are 
kept  in  the  house  a  portion  of  the  divan  belongs  to  them,  and 
among  the  Mangoons  there  is  a  table  in  the  center  specially 
reserved  for  feeding  the  dogs. 

I  found  the  floors  of  clay,  smooth  and  hard.  Near  the 
fire-place  a  little  fire  of  charcoal  is  kept  constantly  burning 
in  a  shallow  hole.  Pipes  are  lighted  at  this  fire,  and  small 
things  can  be  warmed  over  it.  Household  articles  were  hung 
upon  the  rafters  and  cross  beams,  and  there  was  generally  a 

(158) 


A   GENTLEMAN   AT  HOME. 


159 


closet  for  table  ware  and  other  valuables.  The  cross-beams 
were  sufficiently  close  to  afford  stowage  room  for  considerable 
property.  Fish-nets,  sledges,  and  canoes  were  the  most  bulky 
articles  I  saw  there. 

Part  of  one  wall  was  reserved  for  religious  purposes,  and 
covered  with  bear-skulls  and  bones,  horse-hair,  wooden  idols, 
and  pieces  of  colored  cloth.  Occasionally  there  were  badly- 
painted  pictures,  purchased  from  the  Chinese  at  enormous 
prices.  Sometimes  poles  shaped  like  small  idols  are  fixed 
before  the  houses. 

A  Goldee  house  is  warmed  by  means  of  wooden  pipes  un- 
der the  divan  and  passing  out  under  ground  to  a  chimney  ten 
or  fifteen  feet  from  the  building.  Great  economy  is  shown  in 
using  fuel  and  great  care  against  conflagrations.  I  was  not 
able  to  stand  erect  in  any  Goldee  houses  I  entered. 

Like  all  people  of  the  Mongolian  race,  the  natives  pre- 
tended to  have  little  curiosity.  When  we  landed  at  their 
villages  many  continued  their  occupations  and  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  strangers.  Above  Gorin  a  Goldee  gentleman  took  me 
into  his  house,  where  a  woman  placed  a  mat  on  the  divan  and 
motioned  me  to  a  seat.  The  man  tendered  me  a  piece  of 
dried  fish,  which  I  ate  out  of  courtesy  to  my  hosts.  Several 
children  gathered  to  look  at  me,  but  retired  on  a  gesture  from 
pater  familias.  I  am  not  able  to  say  if  the  fact  that  my  eyes 
were  attracted  to  a  pretty  girl  of  seventeen  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  dispersal  of  the  group.  Curiosity  dwells  in  Mon- 
gol breasts,  but  the  Asiatics,  like  our  Indians,  consider  its 
exhibition  in  bad  taste. 

Outside  this  man's  house  there  were  many  scaffoldings  for 
drying  fish.  A  tame  eagle  was  fastened  with  a  long  chain  to 
one  of  the  scaffolds ;  he  was  supposed  to  keep  other  birds 
away  and  was  a  pet  of  his  owner.  There  were  many  dogs 
walking  or  lying  around  loose,  while  others  were  tied  to  the 
posts  that  supported  the  scaffolds. 

The  dogs  of  the  Goldees  are  very  intelligent.  One  morn- 
ing Mr.  Maack  missed  his  pots  which  he  had  left  the  night 
before  full  of  meat.    After  some  search  they  were  found  in 


160 


FISHING  STATIONS. 


the  woods  near  the  village,  overturned  and  empty.  Several 
dogs  were  prowling  about  and  had  evidently  committed  the 
theft.  Fearing  to  be  interrupted  at  their  meal  they  carried 
the  pots  where  they  could  eat  at  leisure. 

While  steaming  up  the  river  I  frequently  saw  temporary 
dwellings  of  poles  and  bark  like  our  Indian  wigwams.  These 
were  at  the  fishing  stations  upon  sand  bars  or  low  islands. 
The  afternoon  following  our  departure  from  Gorin  I  counted 
about  thirty  huts,  or  yourts,  on  one  island,  and  more  than 
fifty  boats  on  the  river. 

For  half  a  mile  the  scene  was  animated  and  interesting. 
Some  boats  were  near  the  shore,  their  inmates  hauling  seines 
 ____  or  paddl- 

~  "  '  -        ' '  ^^^si— -—"^  towed  the 

TEX  MILES  AN  HOUR.  „  , 

c  r  a  1 1  a- 

gainst  the  current,  and  behind  it  was  another  drawn  by  six 
dogs.  Out  in  the  river  were  small  skiffs  and  canoes  in 
couples,  engaged  in  holding  nets  across  the  direction  of  the 
current.  The  paddles  were  struck  regularly  and  slowly  to 
prevent  drifting  down  the  stream. 

One  boat  with  two  men  rowing  and  another  steering  at- 
tempted a  race  with  the  steamer  and  fairly  passed  us,  though 
we  were  making  ten  miles  an  hour.  All  these  natives  are 
very  skillful  in  managing  their  boats. 

When  we  passed  near  a  boat  we  were  greeted  with  '  Men- 
dow,  mendow,'  the  Mongol  word  of  welcome.    Sometimes  we 


A   FASHIONABLE  CALL. 


161 


were  hailed  with  the  Russian  salutation  of  '  sdrastveteh.'  In 
one  boat  I  saw  a  Goldee  belle  dressed  with  considerable  taste 
and  wearing  a  ring  in  the  cartilage  of  her  nose.  How  power- 
ful are  the  mandates  of  Fashion !  This  damsel  would  scorn 
to  wear  her  pendants  after  the  manner  of  Paris  and  New 
York,  while  the  ladies  of  Broadway  and  the  Boulevards  would 
equally  reject  the  Goldee  custom. 

The  natives  of  this  part  of  the  Amoor  have  a  three-pronged 
spear  like  a  Neptune's  trident,  and  handle  it  with  much  dex- 
terity. The  spear-head  is  attached  to  a  long  line,  and  when 
a  fish  is  struck  the  handle  is  withdrawn.  The  fish  runs  out 
the  line,  which  is  either  held  in  the  hand  or  attached  to  a 
bladder  floating  on  the  water. 

Ropes  and  nets  are  made  from  hemp  and  the  common  sting 
nettle,  the  latter  being  preferred.  The  nettle-stalks  are 
soaked  in  water  and  then  dried  and  pounded  till  the  fibres 
separate.  Ropes  and  cords  are  equal  to  those  of  civilized 
manufacture,  though  sometimes  not  quite  as  smooth.  Thread 
for  sewing  and  embroidery  comes  from  China,  and  is  pur- 
chased of  Manjour  traders. 

The  night  after  we  left  Gorin  the  boat  took  wood  at  the 
village  of  Doloe.  It  was  midnight  when  we  arrived,  and  as 
I  walked  through  the  village  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  were 
sleeping.  The  only  perambulating  resident  was  very  drunk 
and  manifested  a  desire  to  embrace  me,  but  as  I  did  not  know 
his  language  and  could  not  claim  relationship  I  declined  the 
honor.  Near  the  river  there  was  a  large  building  for  govern- 
ment stores  and  a  smaller  one  for  the  men  guarding  it.  A 
few  hundred  yards  distant  there  was  a  Goldee  village,  and 
for  want  of  something  better  Borasdine  proposed  that  we 
should  call  on  one  of  its  inhabitants.  We  took  a  Russian 
peasant  to  guide  and  introduce  us,  our  credentials  and  pass- 
ports having  been  left  on  the  steamer. 

As  we  approached  the  first  house  we  were  greeted  by  at 
least  a  dozen  dogs.  They  barked  on  all  keys  and  our  guide 
thought  it  judicious  to  provide  himself  witli  a  stick ;  but  I 
must  do  the  brutes  the  justice  to  say  that  they  made  no  at- 
11 


162 


COATS    OF   FISH  SKINS. 


tempt  at  dentistry  upon  our  legs.  Some  of  them  were  large 
enough  to  consume  ten  pounds  of  beef  at  a  sitting,  and  some 
too  small  for  any  but  ornamental  purposes. 

The  door  was  not  locked  and  the  peasant  entered  without 
warning,  while  we  stood  outside  among  the  dogs.  Our  guide 
aroused  the  chief  of  the  establishment  and  made  a  light ;  a 
strip  of  birch  bark  was  used,  and  it  took  a  good  deal  of  blow- 
ing on  the  fire  coals  before  a  flame  was  produced.  When  we 
entered  we  found  the  proprietor  standing  in  a  short  garment 
and  rubbing  his  oblique  eyes  to  get  himself  thoroughly  awake. 

Near  the  place  he  had  vacated,  the  lady  of  the  house  was- 
huddled  under  a  coverlid  about  as  large  as  a  postage  stamp, 
and  did  not  appear  encumbered  with  much  clothing.  Three 
or  four  others  had  waked  and  made  some  attempt  to  cover 
themselves.  At  least  a  dozen  remained  asleep  and  lay  in  a 
charming  condition  of  nudity.  The  Goldee  houses  are  heated 
to  a  high  degree,  and  their  inmates  sleep  without  clothing. 
The  delay  in  admitting  us  was  to  permit  the  head  of  the 
house  to  dress  in  reception  costume,  which  he  did  by  putting 
on  his  shirt. 

After  wishing  this  aboriginal  a  long  and  happy  life,  and 
thanking  him  for  his  courtesy,  we  departed.  I  bumped  my 
head  against  the  rafters  both  in  entering  and  leaving,  and 
found  considerable  difference  between  the  temperature  in  the 
house  and  out  of  it.  The  peasant  offered  to  guide  us  to  visit 
more  Goldees,  but  we  returned  to  the  boat  and  retired  to 
sleep. 

The  Russian  peasants  and  the  natives  live  in  perfect  har- 
mony and  are  of  mutual  advantage  and  assistance.  The 
peasant  furnishes  the  native  with  salt,  flour,  and  other  things, 
while  the  latter  catches  fish  enough  for  both.  Each  has  a 
peaceable  disposition,  and  I  was  told  that  quarrels  were  of 
rare  occurrence. 

The  Chinese  call  the  natives  Yu-pi-ta-tze,  which  in  English 
means  '  wearers  of  fish-skins.'  I  saw  many  garments  offish- 
skins,  most  of  them  for  summer  use.  The  operation  of  pre- 
paring them  is  quite  simple.    The  skins  are  dried  and  after- 


CHARMS   TO    CURE  DISEASE. 


163 


ward  pounded,  the  blows  making  them  flexible  and  removing 
the  scales.  This  done  they  are  ready  to  be  sewn  into  gar- 
ments. 

A  coat  of  this  material  embroidered  and  otherwise  deco- 
rated is  far  from  ugly,  and  sheds  water  like  India  rubber. 
Fish-skins  are  used  in  making  sails  for  boats  and  for  the  win- 
dows of  houses.  A  Russian  who  had  worn  a  Goldee  coat 
said  it  was  both  warm  and  waterproof,  and  he  suggested  that 
it  would  be  well  to  adopt  fish-skin  garments  in  America. 

The  Goldees  and  Mangoons  practice  Shamanism  in  its  gen- 
eral features,  and  have  a  few  customs  peculiar  to  themselves. 
At  a  Goldee  village  I  saw  a  man  wearing  a  wooden  represen- 
tation of  an  arm,  and  learned  that  it  is  the  practice  to  wear 
amulets  to  cure  disease,  the  amulet 
being  shaped  like  the  part  affected. 
A  lame  person  carries  a  small  leg 
of  wood,  an  individual  suffering 
from  dyspepsia  a  little  stomach, 
and  so  on  through  a  variety  of 
disorders.  A  hypochondriac  who 
thought  himself  afflicted  all  over 
had  covered  himself  with  these 
wooden  devices,  and  looked  like  a 
museum  of  anatomy  on  its  travels. 
I  thought  the  custom  not  unknown 
in  America,  as  I  had  seen  ladies 
in  New  York  wearing  hearts  of 
coral  and  other  substances  on  their 
watch-chains.  Evidently  the  fash- 
ion comes  from  1' Amour. 

The  morning  after  leaving  Doloe 
we  had  a  rain-storm  with  high         the  hypochondriac. 
wind  that  blew  us  on  a  lee  shore. 

The  river  was  four  or  five  miles  wide  where  the  gale  caught 
us,  and  the  banks  on  both  sides  were  low.  The  islands  in 
this  part  of  the  river  were  numerous  and  extensive.  At  one 
place  there  are  three  channels,  each  a  mile  and  a  half  wide 


164 


A' BUSY  SCENE. 


and  all  navigable.  From  one  bank  to  the  other  straight  across 
the  islands  is  a  distance  of  nineteen  miles. 

The  wind  and  weather  prevented  our  making  much  pro- 
gress on  that  day ;  as  the  night  was  cloudy  we  tied  up  near 
a  Russian  village  and  economised  the  darkness  by  taking 
wood.  At  a  peasant's  house  near  the  landing  four  white- 
headed  children  were  taking  their  suppers  of  bread  and  soup 
under  the  supervision  of  their  mother.  Light  was  furnished 
from  an  apparatus  like  a  fishing  jack  attached  to  the  wall ; 
every  few  minutes  the  woman  fed  it  with  a  splinter  of  pine 
wood.  Very  few  of  the  peasants  on  the  Amoor  can  afford 
the  expense  of  candles,  and  as  they  rarely  have  fire-places 
they  must  burn  pine  splinters  in  this  way. 

Along  the  Amoor  nearly  every  peasant  house  contains  hun- 
dreds, and  I  think  thousands,  of  cockroaches.  They  are 
quiet  in  the  day  but  do  not  fail  to  make  themselves  known  at 
night.  The  table  where  these  children  were  eating  swarmed 
with  them,  and  I  can  safely  say  there  were  five  dozen  on  a 
space  three  feet  square.  They  ran  everywhere  about  the 
premises  except  into  the  fire.  Walls,  beds,  tables,  and  floors 
were  plentifully  covered  with  these  disagreeable  insects.  The 
Russians  do  not  appear  to  mind  them,  and  probably  any  one 
residing  in  that  region  would  soon  be  accustomed  to  their 
presence.  Occasionally  they  are  found  in  bread  and  soup, 
and  do  not  improve  the  flavor. 

Life  on  the  steamboat  was  a  trifle  monotonous,  but  I  found 
something  new  daily.  Our  steward  (who  is  called  Boofetchee 
in  Russian)  brought  me  water  for  washing  when  I  rose  in  the 
morning,  and  the  samovar  with  tea  when  I  was  dressed. 
Borasdine  rose  about  the  time  I  did  and  joined  me  at  tea. 
Then  we  had  breakfast  of  beef  and  bread  with  potatoes  about 
eleven  or  twelve  o'clock,  and  dinner  at  six. 

The  intervals  between  meals  were  variously  filled.  I 
watched  the  land,  talked  with  Borasdine,  read,  wrote,  smoked, 
and  contemplated  the  steward,  but  never  imagined  him  a  dis- 
guised angel.  I  looked  at  the  steerage  passengers  and  the 
crew,  and  think  their  faces  are  pretty  well  fixed  in  memory. 


LIFE   ON   A    STEAMBOAT. — DRAW   POKER.  165 

Had  I  only  been  able  to  converse  in  Russian  I  should  have 
found  much  more  enjoyment.  As  for  the  cook  it  is  needless 
to  say  that  I  never  penetrated  the  mysteries  of  his  realm. 
Little  games  of  cards  were  played  daily  by  all  save  myself ; 
I  used  to  look  on  occasionally  but  never  learned  the  games. 

One  of  the  Russian  games  at  cards  is  called  poker,  and  is 
not  much  unlike  that  seductive  amusement  so  familiar  to  the 
United  States.  Whence  it  came  I  could  not  ascertain,  but  it 
was  probably  taken  there  by  some  enterprising  American. 
Some  years  ago  a  western  actor  who  was  able  to  play  Hamlet, 
Richelieu,  Richard  III.,  Claude  Melnotte,  and  draw-poker, 
made  his  way  to  Australia,  where  he  delighted  the  natives 
with  his  dramatic  genius.  But  though  he  drew  crowded 
houses  his  cash  box  was  empty,  as  the  treasurer  stole  the 
most  of  the  receipts.  He  did  not  discharge  him  as  there  was 
little  prospect  of  finding  a  better  man  in  that  country ;  but 
he  taught  him  draw-poker,  borrowed  five  dollars  to  start  the 
game,  and  then  every  morning  won  from  the  treasurer  the 
money  taken  at  the  door  on  the  previous  night. 

As  we  approached  the  Ousuree  there  was  a  superior  mag- 
nificence in  the  forest.  The  trees  on  the  southern  bank  grew 
to  an  enormous  size  in  comparison  with  those  lower  down  the 
river.  Naturalists  say  that  within  a  short  distance  in  this  re- 
gion may  be  found  all  the  trees  peculiar  to  the  Amoor.  Some 
of  them  are  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter  and  very  tall  and 
straight.  The  elm  and  larch  attain  the  greatest  size,  while 
the  ash  and  oak  are  but  little  inferior.  The  cork-tree  is  two 
feet  through,  and  the  maackia — a  species  of  oak  with  a  brown, 
firm  wood — grows  to  the  diameter  of  a  foot  or  more. 

In  summer  the  foliage  is  so  dense  that  the  sun's  rays  hardly 
penetrate,  and  there  is  a  thick  '  chapparel'  that  makes  loco- 
motion difficult.  Just  below  the  Ousuree  the  settlers  had  re- 
moved the  under  growth  over  a  small  space  and  left  the  trees 
appearing  taller  than  ever.  In  a  great  deal  of  travel  I  have 
never  seen  a  finer  forest  than  on  this  part  of  the  Amoor.  I 
do  not  remember  anything  on  the  lower  Mississippi  that  could 
surpass  it. 


166  THE   OUSUREE   AND  HABAROFKA. 

Tigers  and  leopards  abound  in  these  forests,  and  bears  are 
more  numerous  than  agreeable.  Occasionally  one  of  these 
animals  dines  upon  a  Goldee,  but  the  custom  is  not  in  favor 
with  the  natives.  It  is  considered  remarkable  that  the  Ben- 
gal tiger,  belonging  properly  to  a  region  nearer  the  equator, 
should  range  so  far  north.  On  some  of  its  excursions  it 
reaches  53°  North  Latitude,  and  feeds  upon  reindeer  and 
sables.  The  valley  of  the  Amoor  is  the  only  place  in  the 
world  outside  of  a  menagerie  where  all  these  animals  are 
found  together.  The  tropical  ones  go  farther  north  and  the 
Arctic  ones  farther  south  than  elsewhere. 

It  is  the  same  with  the  vegetable  kingdom.  The  mahogany 
and  cork  tree  grow  here,  and  the  bark  of  the  latter  is  largely 
used  by  the  natives.  On  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  a  few 
miles  away  are  the  Siberian  pine,  the  Ay  an  spruce,  and  here 
and  there  a  larch  tree.  Cedars  and  fir  trees  are  abundant 
and  grow  to  a  great  size.  The  whole  appearance  of  the  re- 
gion is  one  of  luxuriance  and  fertility. 

The  mouth  of  the  Ousuree  is  a  mile  wide,  and  the  stream 
is  said  to  be  magnificent  through  its  whole  length.  Its 
sources  are  in  Latitude  44°,  and  its  length  is  about  five  hun- 
dred miles.  While  I  was  at  Nicolayevsk  Admiral  Fulyelm 
said  to  me : 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  a  voyage  on  the  Ousuree.  It 
is  one  of  the  loveliest  rivers  I  ever  saw.  The  valley  bears 
such  a  resemblance  to  a  settled  country  with  alternate  parks 
and  open  country  that  I  almost  looked  to  see  some  grand  old 
mansion  at  every  bend  of  the  stream." 

A  little  past  noon  we  sighted  the  town  and  military  post 
of  Habarofka  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ousuree.  It  stands  on  a 
promontory  overlooking  both  rivers,  and  presents  a  pleasing 
appearance  from  the  Amoor.  The  portion  first  visible  in- 
cluded the  telegraph  office  and  storehouses,  near  which  a 
small  steamer  was  at  anchor.  A  Manjour  trading  boat  was 
at  the  bank,  its  crew  resting  on  shore  ;  a  piece  of  canvas  had 
been  spread  on  the  ground  and  the  men  were  lounging  upon 
it.    One  grave  old  personage,  evidently  the  owner  of  the 


TRACES   OF   AMERICAN  TRADE. 


167 


boat,  waved  his  hand  toward  us  in  a  dignified  manner,  but 
we  could  not  understand  his  meaning. 

Coming  to  shore  we  narrowly  missed  running  over  a  Gol- 
dee  boat  that  crossed  our  track.  Our  wheel  almost  touched 
the  stern  of  the  craft  as  we  passed  it,  but  the  occupants  ap- 
peared no  wise  alarmed.  Two  women  were  rowing  and  a 
man  steering,  while  a  man  and  a  boy  were  idle  in  the  bow. 
A  baby,  strapped  into  a  shallow  cradle,  lay  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat  near  the  steersman.  The  young  Mongol  was  hold- 
ing his  thumb  in  his  mouth  and  appeared  content  with  his 
position.  ' 

The  town  was  in  a  condition  of  rawness  like  a  western  city 
in  its  second  year  ;  there  was  one  principal  street  and  several 
smaller  ones,  regularly  laid  out.  As  in  all  the  Russian  set- 
tlements on  the  Amoor  the  houses  were  of  logs  and  substan- 
tially built.  Passing  up  the  principal  street  we  found  a  store, 
where  we  purchased  a  quantity  of  canned  fruit,  meats,  and 
pickles. 

These  articles  were  from  Boston,  New  York,  and  Baltimore, 
and  had  American  labels.  The  pictures  of  peaches,  straw- 
berries,  and 
other  fruits 
printed  on  the 
labels  were  a 
great  conven- 
ience to  the 
Russian  clerk 
who  served  us. 
He  could  not 
read  English, 
but  understood 
pictorial  repre- 
sentations. On 
the  boat  we 

gave  the  cans  to  the  steward,  to  be  opened  when  we  ordered. 
The  pictures  were  especially  adapted  to  this  youth  as  he  read 
~eft-language  whatever,  including  his  own. 


NONE  FOR  JOE 


168 


A    DRUNKEN  DETENTION. 


On  one  occasion  a  quantity  of  devilled  turkey  was  put  up 
in  cans  and  sent  to  the  Amoor,  and  the  label  was  beautified 
with  a  picture  of  His  Satanic  Majesty  holding  a  turkey  on 
the  end  of  a  fork.  The  natives  supposed  that  the  devil  was 
in  the  cans  and  refused  to  touch  them.  The  supply  was  sent 
back  to  Nicolayevsk,  where  it  was  eaten  by  the  American 
merchants. 

Accompanying  Borasdine  I  called  upon  the  officer  in  com- 
mand. We  were  ushered  through  two  or  three  small  rooms 
into  the  principal  apartment,  which  contained  a  piano  of 
French  manufacture.  Three  or  four  officers  and  as  many 
ladies  enabled  us  to  pass  an  hour  very  pleasantly  till  the 
steam  whistle  recalled  us,  but  we  did  not  leave  until  two 
hours  after  going  on  board.  Two  or  three  men  had  been  al- 
lowed on  shore  and  were  making  themselves  comfortable  in 
a  lafka.  Two  others  went  for  them,  but  as  they  did  not  re- 
turn within  an  hour  the  police  went  to  search  for  both  parties. 
When  all  were  brought  to  the  steamer  it  was  difficult  to  say 
it  the  last  were  not  first — in  intoxication. 

Several  passengers  left  us  at  Habarof  ka,  among  them  the 
black  eyed  girl  that  attracted  the  eyes  of  one  or  two  passen- 
gers in  the  cabin ;  as  we  departed  she  stood  on  the  bank  and 
waved  us  an  adieu.  In  the  freight  taken  at  this  point  there 
were  fifteen  chairs  of  local  manufacture  ;  they  were  piled  in 
the  cabin  and  did  not  leave  us  much  space,  when  we  consid- 
ered the  number  and  size  of  the  fleas.  On  my  first  night  on 
the  Ingodah  the  fleas  did  not  disturb  me  as  I  came  after  vis- 
iting hours  and  was  not  introduced.  On  all  subsequent  nights 
they  were  persevering  and  relentless  ;  I  was  bitten  until  por- 
tions oi  my  body  appeared  as  if  recovering  from  a  Polynesian 
tattoo.  They  used  to  get  inside  my  under  clothing  by  some 
mysterious  way  and  when  there  they  walked  up  and  down 
like  sentries  on  duty  and  bit  at  every  other  step.  It  was  im- 
possible to  flee  from  them,  and  they  appointed  their  break- 
fasts and  lunches  at  times  most  inconvenient  to  myself. 

If  I  were  Emperor  of  Russia  I  would  issue  a  special  edict 
expelling  fleas  from  my  dominions  and  ordering  that  the 


EXPERIENCE   WITH  FLEAS. 


169 


labor  expended  in  scratching  should  be  devoted  to  agriculture 
or  the  mechanic  arts.  I  suggested  that  the  engines  should 
be  removed  from  the  Ingodah  and  a  treadmill  erected  for  the 
fleas  to  propel  the  boat.  There  have  been  exhibitions  where 
fleas  were  trained  to  draw  microscopic  coaches  and  perform 
other  fantastic  tricks ;  but  whatever  their  ability  I  would 
wager  that  the  insects  on  that  steamboat  could  not  be  out- 
done in  industry  by  any  other  fleas  in  the  world. 

One  of  my  standard  amusements  was  to  have  a  grand  hunt 
for  these  lively  insects  just  before  going  to  bed,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  the  exercise  assisted  to  keep  me  in  good  health. 
I  used  to  remove  my  clothing,  which  I  turned  inside  out  and 
shook  very  carefully.  Then  I  bathed  from  head  to  foot  in 
some  villainous  brandy  that  no  respectable  flea  would  or  could 
endure ;  after  this  ablution  was  ended,  I  donned  my  garments, 
wrapped  in  my  blanket,  and  proceeded  to  dream  that  I  was 
a  hen  with  thirteen  chickens,  and  doomed  to  tear  up  an  acre 
of  ground  for  their  support. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


'HEN  I  rose  in  the  morning  after  leaving  Habarof ka 


V  V  the  steward  was  ready  with  his  usual  pitcher  of  water 
and  basin.  In  Siberia  they  have  a  novel  way  of  performing 
ablutions.  They  rarely  furnish  a  wash-bowl,  but  in  place  of 
it  bring  a  large  basin  of  brass  or  other  metal.  If  you  wish 
to  wash  hands  or  face  the  basin  is  placed  where  you  can  lean 
over  it.  A  servant  pours  from  a  pitcher  into  your  hands,  and 
if  you  are  skillful  you  catch  enough  water  to  moisten  your 
face.  Frequently  the  peasants  have  a  water-can  attached  to 
the  wall  of  the  house  in  some  out-of-the-way  locality.  The 
can  has  a  valve  in  the  bottom  opened  from  below  like  a  trap- 
door in  a  roof.  By  lifting  a  brass  pin  that  projects  from  this 
valve  one  can  fill  his  hands  with  water  without  the  aid  of  a 
servant. 

While  I  was  arranging  my  toilet  the  steward  pointed  out 
of  the  cabin  window  and  uttered  the  single  word  "  Kitie" — 
emphasizing  the  last  syllable.  I  looked  where  he  directed 
and  had  my  first  view  of  the  Chinese  empire. 

"Kitie"  is  the  Russian  name  of  China,  and  is  identical 
with  the  Cathay  of  Marco  Polo  and  other  early  travelers.  I 
could  not  see  any  difference  between  Kitie  on  one  hand  and 
Russia  on  the  other ;  there  were  trees  and  bushes,  grass  and 
sand,  just  as  on  the  opposite  shore.  In  the  region  imme- 
diately above  the  Ousuree  there  are  no  mountains  visible  from 
the  river,  but  only  the  low  banks  on  either  hand  covered  with 
trees  and  bushes.  Here  and  there  were  open  spaces  appear- 
ing as  if  cleared  for  cultivation.  With  occasional  sand  bars 
and  low  islands,  and  the  banks  frequently  broken  and  shelv- 


(170) 


FIRST   VIEW   OF  CHINA. 


171 


ing,  the  resemblance  to  the  lower  Mississippi  was  almost  per- 
fect. 

Mr.  Maack  says  of  this  region  : 

"  In  the  early  part  of  the  year  when  the  yellow  blossoms 
of  the  Lonicera  chrysantha  fill  the  air  with  their  fragrance, 
when  the  syringas  bloom  and  the  Hylonecon  bedecks  large 
tracts  with  a  bright  golden  hue,  when  corydales,  violets,  and 
pasque  flowers  are  open,  the  forests  near  the  Ousuree  may 
bear  comparison  in  variety  of  richness  and  coloring  with  the 
open  woods  of  the  prairie  country.  Later  in  the  year,  the 
scarcity  of  flowers  is  compensated  by  the  richness  of  the 
herbage,  and  after  a  shower  of  rain  delicious  perfumes  are 
wafted  towards  us  from  the  tops  of  the  walnut  and  cork  trees." 

A  little  past  noon  we  touched  at  the  Russian  village  of 
Petrovsky.  At  this  place  the  river  was  rapidly  washing  the 
banks,  and  I  was  told  that  during  three  years  nearly  four 
hundred  feet  in  front  of  the  village  had  been  carried  away. 
The  single  row  of  houses  forming  the  settlement  stands  with 
a  narrow  street  between  it  and  the  edge  of  the  bank.  The 
whole  population,  men,  women,  and  children,  turned  out  to 
meet  us.  The  day  was  cool  and  the  men  Avere  generally  in 
their  sheepskin  coats.  The  women  wore  gowns  of  coarse 
cloth  of  different  colors,  and  each  had  a  shawl  over  her  head. 
Some  wore  coats  of  sheepskin  like  those  of  the  men,  and 
several  were  barefooted.  Two  women  walked  into  the  river 
and  stood  with  utter  nonchalance  where  the  water  was  fifteen 
inches  deep.  I  immersed  my  thermometer  and  found  it  in- 
dicated 51°. 

Walking  on  shore  I  was  nearly  overturned  by  a  small  hog 
running  between  my  legs.  The  brute,  with  a  dozen  of  his 
companions,  had  pretty  much  his  own  way  at  Petrovsky,  and 
after  this  introduction  I  was  careful  about  my  steps.  These 
hogs  are  modelled  something  like  blockade  runners :  with 
great  length,  narrow  beam,  and  light  draft.  They  are  capa- 
ble of  high  speed,  and  would  make  excellent  time  if  pursued 
by  a  bull-dog  or  pursuing  a  swill-bucket. 

A  peasant  told  us  there  were  wild  geese  in  a  pond  near  by, 


172 


SIBERIAN  BARGES. 


and  as  the  boat  remained  an  hour  or  more  to  take  wood, 
Borasdine  and  I  improvised  a  hunting  excursion.  It  proved 
in  every  sense  a  wild-goose  chase,  as  the  birds  flew  away  be- 


RECEPTION  AT  PETROVSKT. 


fore  we  were  in  shooting  distance.  Not  wishing  to  return 
empty-handed  we  purchased  two  geese  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  village,  and  assumed  an  air  of  great  dignity  as  we 
approached  the  boat.  We  subsequently  ascertained  that  the 
same  geese  were  offered  to  the  steward  for  half  the  price  we 
paid. 

Just  above  Petrovsky  we  passed  the  steamer  Amoor,  which 
left  Nicolayevsk  a  week  before  us  with  three  barges  in  tow. 
With  such  a  heavy  load  her  progress  was  very  slow.  Barges 
on  the  Amoor  river  are  generally  built  of  iron,  and  nearly  as 
large  as  the  steamers.  They  are  not  towed  alongside  as  on 
the  Mississippi,  but  astern.  The  rope  from  the  steamer  to 
the  first  barge  is  about  two  hundred  feet  long,  and  the  barges 
follow  each  other  at  similar  distances.  Looking  at  this 
steamer  struggling  against  the  current  and  impeded  by  the 
barges,  brought  to  mind  Pope's  needless  Alexandrine : 

"  That,  like  a  wounded  snake,  drags  its  slow  length  along." 

Each  barge  has  a  crew,  subordinate,  of  course,  to  the  cap* 
tain  of  the  tow-boat.    This  crew  steers  the  barge  in  accord- 


A   DIPLOMATIC  OVERSIGHT. 


173 


ance  with  the  course  of  the  steamer,  looks  after  its  welfare, 
and  watches  over  the  freight  on  board.  In  case  it  fastens  on 
a  sand  bar  the  crew  remains  with  it,  and  sometimes  has  the 
pleasure  of  wintering  there.  The  barge  is  decked  like  a  ship, 
and  has  two  or  three  hatchways  for  receiving  and  discharging 
freight.  Over  each  hatchway  is  a  derrick  that  appears  at  a 
distance  not  unlike  a  mast. 

Above  Petrovsky  the  banks  generally  retain  their  level 
character  on  the  Russian  side.  Cliffs  and  hills  frequently 
extend  to  the  water  on  the  Chinese  shore,  most  of  the  land 
being  covered  with  forests  of  foliferous  trees.  Some  of  the 
mountains  are  furrowed  along  their  sides  as  regularly  as  if 
turned  with  a  gigantic  plow.  Near  the  villages  of  Ettoo  and 
Dyrki  the  cliffs  are  precipitous  and  several  hundred  feet  high ; 
at  their  base  the  water  is  deep  and  the  current  very  strong. 
On  the  north  shore  the  plain  is  generally  free  from  tall  trees, 
but  has  a  dense  growth  of  grass  and  bushes.  Sand-banks  are 
frequent,  and  the  islands  are  large  and  numerous. 

This  region  is  much  frequented  during  the  fishing  season, 
and  the  huts  of  the  natives,  their  canoes  and  drying  scaffolds 
are  quite  numerous.  There  are  but  few  fixed  villages,  the 
country  not  being  desirable  for  permanent  habitation.  Near 
one  village  there  was  a  gently  sloping  hillside  about  a  mile 
square  with  a  forest  of  oak  so  scattered  that  it  had  a  close 
resemblance  to  an  American  apple-orchard. 

The  freaty  between  Russia  and  China,  fixing  the  bound- 
aries between  the  two  empires,  contains  a  strange  oversight. 
Dated  on  the  14th  of  November,  1860,  it  says : 

"  Henceforth  the  eastern  frontier  between  the  two  empires 
shall  commence  from  the  junction  of  the  rivers  Shilka  and 
Argoon,  and  will  follow  the  course  of  the  River  Amoor  to  the 
junction  of  the  river  Ousuree  with  the  latter.  The  land  on 
the  left  bank  (to  the  north)  of  the  River  Amoor  belongs  to 
the  empire  of  Russia,  and  the  territory  on  the  right  bank  (to 
the  south)  to  the  junction  of  the  River  Ousuree,  to  the  em- 
pire of  China." 

The  treaty  further  establishes  the  boundaries  from  the 


174 


A   SCANTY  POPULATION. 


mouth  of  the  Ousuree  to  the  sea  of  Japan,  and  along  the 
western  region  toward  Central  Asia.  It  provides  for  commis- 
sioners to  examine  the  frontier  line. 

It  declares  that  trade  shall  be  free  of  duty  along  the  entire 
line,  and  removes  all  commercial  restrictions.  It  gives  the 
merchants  of  Kiachta  the  right  of  going  to  Pekin,  Oorga,  and 
Kalgan ;  allows  a  Russian  consulate  at  Oorga,  and  permits 
Russian  merchants  to  travel  anywhere  in  China.  It  annuls 
former  treaties,  and  establishes  a  postal  arrangement  between 
Pekin  and  Kiachta. 

I  presume  the  oversight  in  the  treaty  was  on  the  part  of 
the  Chinese,  as  the  Russians  are  too  shrewd  in  diplomacy  to 
omit  any  point  of  advantage.  Nothing  is  said  about  the  land 
in  the  Amoor.  "  The  land  on  the  north  bank  is  Russian,  and 
on  the  south  bank  Chinese."  What  is  to  be  the  nationality 
of  the  islands  in  the  river  ?  Some  of  them  are  large  enough 
to  hold  a  population  of  importance,  or  be  used  as  the  sites  of 
fortifications.  There  are  duchies  and  principalities  in  Europe 
of  less  territorial  extent  than  some  islands  of  the  Amoor. 

When  Russia  desires  them  she  will  doubtless  extend  her 
protection,  and  I  observed  during  my  voyage  that  several  isl- 
ands were  occupied  by  Russian  settlers  for  hay-cutting  and 
other  purposes.  Why  could  not  an  enterprising  man  of  des- 
tiny like  the  grey-eyed  Walker  or  unhappy  Maximilian  pene- 
trate the  Amoor  and  found  a  new  government  on  an  island 
that  nobody  owns  ?  Quite  likely  his  adventure  would  result 
like  the  conquests  of  Mexico  and  Nicaragua,  but  this  proba- 
bility should  not  cause  a  man  of  noble  blood  to  hesitate. 

Below  the  Ousuree  the  Russian  villages  were  generally  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  river,  but  after  passing  that  stream  I 
found  them  all  on  the  north  side.  The  villages  tributary  to 
China  consisted  only  of  the  settlements  of  Goldees  and  Man- 
goons,  or  their  temporary  fishing  stations.  The  Chinese  em- 
pire contains  much  territory  still  open  to  colonization,  and  I 
imagine  that  it  would  be  to  the  interest  of  the  Celestial  gov- 
ernment to  scatter  its  population  more  evenly  over  its  domin- 
ions.   Possibly  it  does  not  wish  to  send  its  subjects  into  re- 


VISITING   A   MILITARY  POST. 


175 


gions  that  may  hereafter  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  emperor 
of  Russia.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  land  in  Manjouria 
adapted  to  agriculture,  richly  timbered  and  watered,  but  con- 
taining a  very  small  population.  Millions  of  people  could 
find  homes  where  there  are  now  but  a  few  thousands. 

A  Russian  village  and  military  post  seventeen  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Songaree  is  named  Michael  Semenof,  in 
honor  of  the  Governor  General  of  Eastern  Siberia.  We 
landed  before  the  commandant's  house,  where  two  iron  guns 
pointed  over  the  river  in  the  direction  of  China.  However 
threatening  they  appeared  I  was  informed  they  were  unser- 
viceable for  purposes  of  war,  and  only  employed  in  firing  sa- 
lutes. A  military  force  was  maintained  there,  and  doubtless 
kept  a  sharp  watch  over  the  Chinese  frontier. 

The  soldiers  appeared  under  good  sanitary  regulations,  and 
the  quarters  of  the  Commandant  indicated  an  appreciation 
of  the  comforts  of  life.  The  peasants  that  gathered  on  the 
bank  were  better  dressed  than  those  of  Petrovsky  and  other 
villages.  The  town  is  on  a  plain  covered  with  a  scattered 
growth  of  oaks.  Below  this  place  the  wood  furnished  us  was 
generally  ash  or  poplar ;  here  it  was  oak,  somewhat  gnarly 
and  crooked,  but  very  good  for  steamboat  fuel.  One  design 
of  the  colonization  of  the  Amoor  is  to  furnish  a  regular  sup- 
ply of  wood  to  the  government  steamers.  The  peasants  cut 
the  wood  and  bring  it  to  the  bank  of  the  river.  Private 
steamers  pay  cash  for  what  they  purchase ;  the  captains  of 
the  government  boats  gives  vouchers  for  the  wood  they  take, 
and  these  vouchers  are  redeemed  at  the  end  of  the  season  of 
navigation.  About  sixty  thousand  roubles  worth  of  wood  is 
consumed  annually  by  government,  and  twelve  thousand  on- 
private  account. 

While  the  boat  took  wood  Borasdine  and  I  resumed  our 
hunting,  he  carrying  a  shot-gun  and  I  an  opera  glass ;  with 
this  division  of  labor  we  managed  to  bag  a  single  snipe  and 
kill  another,  which  was  lost  in  the  river.  My  opera  glass 
was  of  assistance  in  finding  the  birds  in  the  grass  ;  they  were 
quite  abundant  almost  within  rifle-shot  of  town,  and  it  seemed 


176 


VIEWING   THE  SONGAREE. 


strange  that  the  officers  of  the  post  did  not  devote  their  leis- 
ure to  snipe  hunting. 

Our  snipe  was  cooked  for  dinner,  and  equalled  any  I  ever 
saw  at  Delmonico's.    We  had  a  wild  goose  at  the  same  meal, 


tains  and  seemed  to  lift  them  above  their  real  position.  With 
the  red  and  golden  colors  of  the  clouds  ;  the  lights  and  shad- 
ows of  the  mountains ;  the  yellow  forests  of  autumn,  and 
the  green  plains  near  the  river ;  the  stillness  broken  only  by 
our  own  motion  or  the  rippling  of  the  river,  the  scene  was 
'  most  fair  to  look  upon.'  I  have  never  seen  sunsets  more 
beautiful  than  those  of  the  Amoor. 

I  rose  early  in  the  morning  to  look  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Songaree.  Under  a  cloudy  moon  I  could .  distinguish  little 
beyond  the  outline  of  the  land  and  the  long  low  water  line 
where  the  Amoor  and  Songaree  sweep  at  right  angles  from 
their  respective  valleys.  Even  though  it  was  not  daylight  I 
could  distinguish  the  line  of  separation,  or  union,  between 


1 


and  after  a  careful  trial 
I  can  pronounce  the  Si- 
berian goose  an  edible 
bird.  He  is  not  less  cun- 
ning than  wild  geese  else- 
where, but  with  all  his 
adroitness  he  frequently 
falls  into  the  hands  of 
man  and  graces  his  din- 
ner table. 


ARMLD   AND  EQUIPPED. 


On  the  northern  hori- 
zon, twenty  or  thirty 
miles  from  Michael  Se- 
menof,  there  is  a  range 
of  high  and  rugged  moun- 
tains. As  we  left  the 
town,  near  the  close  of 
day,  the  clouds  broke  in 
the  west  and  the  sunshine 
lighted  up  these  moun- 


THE   CLAIM   OF  CHINA. 


177 


the  waters  of  the  two  streams,  just  as  one  can  observe  it 
where  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  unite  above  Saint  Louis. 
I  would  have  given  much  to  see  this  place  in  full  daylight, 
but  the  fates  willed  it  otherwise. 

This  river  is  destined  at  some  time  to  play  an  important 
part  in  Russian  and  Chinese  diplomacy.  At  present  it  is  en- 
tirely controlled  by  China,  but  it  appears  on  all  the  late  maps 
of  Eastern  Siberia  with  such  minuteness  as  to  indicate  that 
the  Russians  expect  to  obtain  it  before  long.  Formerly  the 
Chinese  claimed  the  Songaree  as  the  real  Amoor,  and  based 
their  argument  on  the  fact  that  it  follows  the  general  course 
of  the  united  stream  and  carried  a  volume  of  water  as  large 
as  the  other.  They  have  now  abandoned  this  claim,  which 
the  Russians  are  entirely  willing  to  concede.  Once  the  fact 
established  that  the  Songaree  is  the  real  Amoor,  the  Russians 
would  turn  to  the  treaty  which  gives  them  "  all  the  land  north 
of  the  Amoor."  Their  next  step  would  be  to  occupy  the  best 
part  of  Manjouria,  which  would  be  theirs  by  the  treaty. 

By  far  the  larger  portion  of  Manjouria  is  drained  by  the 
Songaree  and  its  tributaries.  The  sources  of  this  river  are 
in  the  Shanalin  mountains,  that  separate  Corea  from  Man- 
jouria, and  are  ten  or  twelve  thousand  feet  high.  They  re- 
semble the  Sierra  Nevadas  in  having  a  lake  twelve  miles  in 
circumference  as  high  in  air  as  Lake  Tahoe.  The  affluents 
of  the  Songaree  run  through  a  plateau  in  some  places  densely 
wooded  while  in  others  it  has  wide  belts  of  prairie  and  marshy 
ground.  A  large  part  of  the  valley  consists  of  low,  fertile 
lands,  through  which  the  river  winds  with  very  few  impedi- 
ments to  navigation. 

Yery  little  is  known  concerning  the  valley,  but  it  is  said  to 
be  pretty  well  peopled  and  to  produce  abundantly.  M.  De 
la  Bruniere  when  traveling  to  the  country  of  the  Gilyaks  in 
1845,  crossed  this  valley,  and  found  a  dense  population  along 
the  river,  but  a  smaller  one  farther  inland.  The  principal 
cities  are  Kirin  and  Sansin  on  the  main  stream,  and  Sit-si-gar 
on  the  Nonni,  one  of  its  tributaries.  The  Songaree  is  navi- 
gable to  Kirin,  about  thirteen  hundred  versts  from  the  Amoor, 
12 


178 


COUNTRY   NEAR   THE  SONGAREE. 


and  it  is  thought  the  Nonni  can  be  ascended  to  Sit-si-gar. 
The  three  cities  have  each  a  population  of  about  a  hundred 
thousand. 

According  to  the  treaty  of  1860  Russian  merchants  with 
proper  passports  may  enter  Chinese  territory,  but  no  more 
than  two  hundred  can  congregate  in  one  locality.  Russian 
merchants  have  been  to  all  the  cities  in  Manjouria,  but  the 
difficulties  of  travel  are  not  small.  The  Chinese  authorities 
are  jealous  of  foreigners,  and  restrict  their  movements  as 
much  as  possible. 

The  Russians  desire  to  open  the  Songaree  to  commerce, 
but  the  Chinese  prefer  seclusion.  A  month  before  my  visit 
a  party  ascended  the  river  to  ascertain  its  resources.  A  gen- 
tleman told  me  the  Chinese  used  every  means  except  actual 
force  to  hinder  the  progress  of  the  steamer  and  prevent  the 
explorers  seeing  much  of  the  country.  Whenever  any  one 
went  on  shore  the  people  crowded  around  in  such  numbers 
that  nothing  else  could  be  seen.  Almost  the  whole  result  of 
the  expedition  was  to  ascertain  that  the  river  was  navigable 
and  its  banks  well  peopled. 

In  the  dim  light  of  morning  I  saw  some  houses  at  the 
junction  of  the  rivers,  and  learned  they  were  formerly  the 
quarters  of  a  Manjour  guard.  Until  1864  a  military  force, 
with  two  or  three  war  junks,  was  kept  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Songaree  to  prevent  Russian  boats  ascending.  Mr.  Maximo- 
wicz,  the  naturalist,  endeavored  in  1859  to  explore  the  river 
as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Nonni.  Though  his  passport  was 
correct,  the  Manjour  guard  ordered  him  to  stop,  and  when  he 
insisted  upon  proceeding  the  Celestial  raised  his  matchlock. 
Maximowicz  exhibited  a  rifle  and  revolver  and  forced  a  pas- 
sage. 

He  was  not  molested  until  within  forty  miles  of  San-Sin, 
when  the  natives  came  out  with  flails,  but  prudently  held 
aloof  on  seeing  the  firearms  in  the  boat.  Finding  he  could 
not  safely  proceed,  the  gentleman  turned  about  when  only 
twenty-five  miles  below  the  city. 

After  passing  the  Songaree  I  found  a  flat  country  with  wide 


TAKING  SOUNDINGS. 


179 


prairies  on  either  side  of  the  river.  In  the  forest  primeval 
the  trees  were  dense  and  large,  and  where  no  trees  grew  the 
grass  was  luxuriant.  The  banks  were  alluvial  and  evidently 
washed  by  the  river  during  times  of  freshet.  There  were 
many  islands,  but  the  windings  of  the  river  were  more  regu- 
lar than  farther  down.  I  saw  no  native  villages  and  only 
two  or  three  fishing  stations.  Those  acquainted  with  the 
river  say  its  banks  have  fewer  inhabitants  there  than  in  any 
other  portion. 

On  the  Russian  shore  there  were  only  the  villages  estab- 
lished by  government,  but  notwithstanding  its  lack  of  popu- 
lation, the  country  was  beautiful.  With  towns,  plantations, 
and  sugar-mills,  it  would  greatly  resemble  the  region  between 
Baton  Rouge  and  New  Orleans.  I  could  perceive  that  the 
volume  of  the  river  was  much  diminished  above  its  junction 
with  the  Songaree. 

At  long  and  rare  intervals  snags  were  visible,  but  not  in 
the  navigable  channel.  We  took  soundings  with  a  seven  foot 
pole  attached  to  a  rope  fastened  to  the  rail  of  the  boat.  A 
man  threw  the  pole  as  if  he  were  spearing  fish,  and  watched 
the  depth  to  which  it  descended.  The  depth  of  water  was 
shouted  in  a  monotonous  drawl.  "  Sheiste ;  sheiste  polivin- 
nay ;  sem ;  sem  polivinnay /"  and  so  on  through  the  various 
quantities  indicated.  I  thought  the  manner  more  convenient 
than  that  in  use  on  some  of  our  western  rivers. 

While  smoking  a  cigar  on  the  bridge  I  was  roused  by  the 
cry  of  "tigre!  tigre!"  from  Borasdine.  I  looked  to  where 
he  pointed  on  the  Chinese  shore  and  could  see  an  animal 
moving  slowly  through  the  grass.  It  may  have  been  a  tiger, 
and  so  it  was  pronounced  by  the  Russians  who  saw  it ;  I  have 
never  looked  upon  a  real  tiger  outside  of  a  menagerie,  and 
am  not  qualified  to  give  an  opinion.  I  brought  my  opera 
glass  and  Borasdine  his  rifle,  but  the  beast  did  not  again  show 
himself.  Provoked  by  this  glimpse  my  companions  retired 
to  the  cabin  and  made  a  theoretical  combat  with  the  animal 
until  dinner  time. 

The  day  was  made  memorable  by  a  decent  dinner ;  the 


180 


A   PERILOUS  ADVENTURE. 


special  reason  for  it  was  the  fact  that  Borasdine  had  presented 
our  caterer  with  an  old  coat.  I  regretted  I  could  not  afford 
to  reduce  my  wardrobe,  else  we  would  have  secured  another 
comfortable  repast.  Both  steward  and  cook  were  somewhat 
negligently  clad,  and  possibly  a  spare  garment  or  two  might 
have  opened  their  hearts  and  larders. 

Of  course  the  sight  of  the  tiger  led  to  stories  about  his 
kindred,  and  we  whiled  away  a  portion  of  the  evening  in 
narrating  incidents  of  a  more  or  less  personal  character.  An 
officer,  who  was  temporarily  our  fellow-passenger,  on  his  way 
to  one  of  the  Cossack  posts,  a  few  miles  above,  gave  an  ac- 
count of  his  experience  with  a  tiger  on  the  Ousuree. 

I  was  out  (said  he)  on  a  survey  that  we  were  making  on 
behalf  of  the  government  to  establish  the  boundary  between 
Russia  and  China.  The  country  was  then  less  known  than 
now  ;  there  were  no  settlements  along  the  river,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  villages  of  the  natives,  thirty  or  forty  miles 
apart,  the  whole  country  was  a  wilderness.  At  one  village 
we  were  warned  that  a  large  tiger  had  within  a  month  killed 
two  men  and  attacked  a  third,  who  was  saved  only  by  the 
sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of  a  party  of  friends. 
We  prepared  our  rifles  and  pistols,  to  avoid  the  possibility  of 
their  missing  fire  in  case  of  an  encounter  with  the  man-steal- 
ing beast.  Rather  reluctantly  some  of  the  natives  consented 
to  serve  us  as  guides  to  the  next  village.  We  generally  found 
them  ready  enough  to  assist  us,  as  we  paid  pretty  liberally 
for  their  services,  and  made  love  to  all  the  young  women  that 
the  villages  contained.  With  an  eye  to  a  successful  cam- 
paign, I  laid  in  a  liberal  supply  of  trinkets  to  please  these 
aboriginals,  and  found  that  they  served  their  purposes" admir- 
ably. So  the  natives  were  almost  universally  kind  to  us,  and 
their  reluctance  to  accompany  us  on  this  occasion  showed  the 
great  fear  they  entertained  of  the  tiger. 

We  were  camped  on  the  bank  of  the  Ousuree,  about  ten 
miles  from  the  village,  and  passed  the  night  without  disturb- 
ance. In  the  morning,  while  we  were  preparing  for  break- 
fast, one  of  the  natives  went  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  to  a 


TIGER   HUNT   ON   THE   OUSUREE.  181 

little  pond  near,  where  he  thought  it  possible  to  spear  some 
salmon.  He  waded  out  till  he  was  immersed  to  his  waist, 
and  then  with  his  spear  raised,  stood  motionless  as  a  statue 
for  several  minutes.  Suddenly  he  darted  the  spear  into  the 
water  and  drew  out  a  large  salmon,  which  he  threw  to  the 
shore,  and  then  resumed  his  stationary  position.  In  twenty 
minutes  he  took  three  or  four  salmon,  and  then  started  to  re- 
turn to  camp.  Just  as  he  climbed  the  bank  and  had  gathered 
his  fish,  a  large  tiger  darted  from  the  underbrush  near  by, 
and  sprung  upon  him  as  a  cat  would  spring  upon  a  mouse. 

Stopping  not  a  moment,  the  tiger  ran  up  the  hillside  and 
disappeared.  I  was  looking  toward  the  river  just  as  the  tiger 
sprang  upon  him,  and  so  were  two  of  the  natives ;  we  all  ut- 
tered a  cry  of  astonishment,  and  were  struck  motionless  for 
an  instant,  though  only  for  an  instant.  The  unfortunate  man 
did  not  struggle  with  the  beast,  and  as  the  latter  did  not  stop 
to  do  more  than  seize  him,  I  suspected  that  the  fright  and 
suddenness  of  the  attack  had  caused  a  fainting  fit.  I  and 
my  Russian  companion  seized  our  rifles,  and  the  natives  their 
spears,  and  started  in  pursuit. 

We  tracked  the  tiger  through  the  underbrush,  partly  by 
the  marks  left  by  his  feet,  but  mainly  by  the  drops  of  blood 
that  had  fallen  from  his  victim.  Going  over  a  ridge,  we  lost 
the  trail,  and  though  we  spread  out  and  searched  very  care- 
fully, it  was  nearly  an  hour  before  we  could  resume  the  pur- 
suit. Every  minute  seemed  an  age,  as  we  well  knew  that  the 
tiger  would  thus  gain  time  to  devour  his  prey.  Probably  I 
was  less  agitated  than  the  natives,  but  I  freely  and  gladly  ad- 
mit that  I  have  never  had  my  nerves  more  unstrung  than  on 
that  occasion,  though  I  have  been  in  much  greater  peril. 
We  searched  through  several  clumps  of  bushes,  and  exam- 
ined several  thickets,  in  the  hope  of  finding  where  the  tiger 
had  concealed  himself.  The  natives  approached  all  these 
thickets  with  fear  and  trembling,  so  that  most  of  the  search- 
ing was  done  by  the  Russian  members  of  the  party. 

Just  as  we  were  beating  around  a  little  clump  of  bushes, 


182 


A    SHARP  FIGHT. 


fifteen  or  twenty  yards  across,  my  companion  on  the  other 
side  shouted : 

"  Look  out ;  the  tiger  is  preparing  to  spring  upon  you." 

Instantly  I  cocked  my  rifle  and  fired  into  the  bushes  ;  they 
were  so  dense  that  I  could  hardly  discern  the  outline  of  the 
beast,  who  had  me  in  full  view,  and  was  crouching  prepara- 
tory to  making  a  leap.  I  called  to  my  friend  to  shoot,  as  the 
density  of  the  thicket  made  it  very  probable  that  my  fire 
would  be  lost,  by  the  ball  glancing  among  the  shrubbery. 
But  my  friend  was  in  the  same  predicament,  and  I  quickly 
formed  a  plan  of  operations. 

We  were  both  good  shots,  and  I  thought  our  safety  lay  in 
killing  the  beast  as  he  rose  in  the  air.    Aiming  at  his  head, 


his  throat  was  exposed  for  a  moment,  and  I  planted  a  bullet 
in  his  breast.  Simultaneously  a  ball  from  the  other  rifle 
struck  his  side.  We  fired  so  closely  together  that  neither  of 
us  heard  the  report  of  the  other's  weapon.  The  tiger  gave  a 
roar  of  agony,  and  despite  the  wounds  he  received,  either  of 
which  would  have  been  fatal,  he  completed  his  spring  so 


GENERAL  ACTIVITY. 


I  stepped  slow- 
1  y  backward, 
and  shouted  to 
my  friend  to 
cover  the  tiger 
and  shoot  as 
he  sprang. 
All  this  occur- 
r e d  in  less 
time  than  I 
tell  of  it. 
Hardly  had  I 
stepped  two 
paces  back- 
ward when  the 
tiger  leaped 
toward  me. 
As  he  rose, 


BURIAL   OF   A  NATIVE. 


183 


nearly  that  he  caught  me  by  the  foot  and  inflicted  a  wound 
that  lamed  me  for  several  months,  and  left  permanent  scars. 

The  natives,  hearing  the  report  of  our  rifles,  came  \o  our 
assistance,  and  so  great  was  their  reverence  for  the  tiger, 
that  they  prostrated  themselves  before  his  quivering  body,  and 
muttered  some  words  which  I  could  not  understand. 

Though  assured  that  the  beast  was  dead,  they  hesitated  to 
enter  the  thicket  to  search  for  the  body  of  their  companion, 
and  it  was  only  on  my  leading  the  way  that  they  entered  it. 

We  found  the  remains  of  the  poor  native  somewhat  muti- 
lated, though  less  so  than  I  expected.  There  was  no  trace 
of  suffering  upon  his  features,  and  I  was  confirmed  in  my 
theory  that  he  fainted  the  moment  he  was  seized,  and  was 
not  conscious  afterward.  His  friends  insisted  upon  burying 
the  body  where  they  found  it,  and  said  it  was  their  custom  to 
do  so.  They  piled  logs  above  the  grave,  and  after  the  observ- 
ance of  certain  pagan  rites,  to  secure  the  repose  of  the  de- 
ceased, they  signified  their  readiness  to  proceed. 

The  tiger  was  one  of  the  largest  of  his  kind.  I  had  his 
skin  carefully  removed,  and  sent  it  with  my  official  report  to 
St.  Petersburg.  A  Chinese  mandarin  who  met  me  near  Lake 
Hinka  offered  me  a  high  price  for  the  skin,  but  I  declined  his 
offer,  in  order  to  show  our  Emperor  what  his  Siberian  posses- 
sions contained. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


N  the  morning  of  September  28th  we  arrived  at  Ekat- 


V_y  erin-Nikolskoi,  a  flourishing  settlement,  said  to  con- 
tain nearly  three  hundred  houses.  It  stood  on  a  plateau  forty 
feet  above  the  river,  and  was  the  best  appearing  village  I  had* 
seen  since  leaving  Habarof  ka.  The  people  that  gathered  on 
the  bank  were  comfortably  clad  and  evidently  well  fed,  but  I 
could  not  help  wondering  how  so  many  could  leave  their  labor 
to  look  at  a  steamboat.  The  country  was  considered  excel- 
lent for  agriculture,  yielding  abundantly  all  the  grains  that 
had  been  tried. 

On  the  Amoor  the  country  below  Gorin  belongs  to  the 
Maritime  province,  which  has  its  capital  at  Nicolayevsk. 
Above  Gorin  is  the  Province  of  The  Amoor,  controlled  by 
the  governor  at  Blagoveshchensk.  In  the  Maritime  Province 
the  settlers  are  generally  of  the  civilian  or  peasant  class, 
while  in  the  Amoor  Province  they  are  mostly  Cossacks.  The 
latter  depend  more  upon  themselves  than  the  former,  and  I 
was  told  that  this  was  one  cause  of  their  prosperity.  Many 
peasants  in  the  Maritime  Province  do  not  raise  enough  flour 
for  their  own  use,  and  rely  upon  government  when  there  is  a 
deficiency. 

It  is  my  opinion  that  the  Emperor  does  too  much  for  some 
of  his  subjects  in  the  eastern  part  of  his  dominions.  In 
Kamchatka  and  along  the  coast  of  the  Ohotsk  sea  the  people 
are  supplied  with  flour  at  a  low  price  or  for  nothing,  a  ship 
coming  annually  to  bring  it.  It  has  been  demonstrated  that 
agriculture  is  possible  in  Kamchatka.  When  I  asked  why 
rye  was  not  raised  there,  one  reply  was  :    "  We  get  our  flour 


(184) 


COSSACK   VILLAGES   ON   THE   AMOOR.  185 

from  government,  and  have  no  occasion  to  make  it."  Now 
if  the  government  would  furnish  the  proper  facilities  for  com- 
mencing agriculture,  and  then  throw  the  inhabitants  on  their 
own  resources,  I  think  it  would  make  a  decided  change  for 
the  better.    A  self-reliant  population  is  always  the  best. 

Some  of  the  colonists  on  the  Amoor  went  there  of  their 
own  accord,  induced  by  liberal  donations  of  land  and  mate- 
rials, while  others  were  moved  by  official  orders.  In  Siberia 
the  government  can  transfer  a  population  at  its  will.  A 
whole  village  may  be  commanded  to  move  ten,  a  hundred,  or 
a  thousand  miles,  and  it  has  only  to  obey.  The  people  gather 
their  property,  take  their  flocks  and  herds,  and  move  where 
commanded.  They  are  reimbursed  for  losses  in  changing 
their  residence,  and  the  expense  of  new  houses  is  borne  by 
government.  A  community  may  be  moved  from  one  place 
to  another,  and  the  settlers  find  themselves  surrounded  by 
their  former  neighbors. 

The  Cossacks  are  moved  oftener  than  the  peasants,  as  they 
are  more  directly  subject  to  orders.  I  found  the  Cossack  vil- 
lages on  the  Amoor  were  generally  laid  out  with  military  pre- 
cision, the  streets  where  the  ground  permitted  being  straight 
as  sunbeams,  and  the  houses  of  equal  size.  Usually  each 
house  had  a  small  yard  or  flower  garden  in  its  front,  but  it 
was  not  always  carefully  tended.  Every  village  has  a  chief 
or  headman,  who  assigns  each  man  his  location  and  watches 
over  the  general  good  of  his  people.  When  Cossacks  are  de- 
manded for  government  service  the  headman  makes  the  se- 
lection, and  all  cases  of  insubordination  or  dispute  are  regu- 
lated by  him. 

A  Cossack  is  half  soldier  and  half  citizen.  He  owes  a 
certain  amount  of  service  to  the  government,  and  is  required 
to  labor  for  it  a  given  number  of  days  in  the  year.  He  may 
be  called  to  travel  as  escort  to  the  mail  or  to  an  officer,  to 
watch  over  public  property,  to  row  a  boat,  construct  a  house, 
or  perform  any  other  duty  in  his  power.  In  case  of  war  he 
becomes  a  soldier  and  is  sent  wherever  required.  As  a  ser- 
vant of  government  he  receives  rations  for  himself  and  fam- 


186 


PASSING   A   MOUNTAIN  CHAIN. 


ily,  but  I  believe  he  is  not  paid  in  money.  The  time  belong- 
ing to  himself  he  can  devote  to  agriculture  or  any  other  em- 
ployment he  chooses. 

The  Cossacks  reside  with  their  families,  and  some  of  them 
acquire  considerable  property.  A  Russian  officer  told  me 
there  were  many  wealthy  Cossacks  along  the  Argoon  river  on 
the  boundary  between  Russia  and  China.  They  trade  across 
the  frontier,  and  own  large  droves  of  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep. 
Some  of  their  houses  are  spacious  and  fitted  with  consider- 
able attempt  at  luxury.  The  Amoor  settlements  are  at  pres- 
ent too  young  to  possess  much  wealth. 

Soon  after  leaving  Ekaterin-Nikolskoi  we  entered  the  Bur- 
yea  or  Hingan  mountains.  This  chain  extends  across  the 
valley  of  the  Amoor  at  nearly  right  angles,  and  the  river 
flows  through  it  in  a  single  narrow  defile.  The  mountains 
first  reach  the  river  on  the  northern  bank,  the  Chinese  shore 
continuing  low  for  thirteen  miles  higher  up.  There  are  no 
islands,  and  the  river,  narrowed  to  about  half  a  mile,  flows 
with  a  rapid  current.  In  some  places  it  runs  five  miles  an 
hour,  and  its  depth  is  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet.  The 
mountains  come  to  the  river  on  either  bank,  sometimes  in 
precipitous  cliffs,  but  generally  in  regular  slopes. 

Their  elevation  is  about  a  thousand  feet,  and  they  are  cov- 
ered to  their  summits  with  dense  forests  of  foliferous  and 
coniferous  trees.  Occasionally  the  slopes  are  rocky  or  covered 
with  loose  debris  that  does  not  give  clinging  room  to  the 
trees.  The  undergrowth  is  dense,  and  everything  indicates 
a  good  vegetation. 

The  mountains  are  of  mica-schist,  clay-slate,  and  rocks  of 
similar  origin  resting  upon  an  axis  of  granite.  Porphyry  has 
been  found  in  one  locality.  According  to  the  geologists  there 
are  indications  of  gold  and  other  precious  metals,  and  I  would 
not  be  surprised  if  a  thorough  exploration  led  to  valuable 
discoveries. 

As  the  boat  struggled  against  the  current  in  this  mountain 
passage  I  spent  most  of  the  time  on  deck.  The  tortuous 
course  of  the  river  added  much  to  the  scenic  effect.  Almost 


A   SLIGHT   ACCIDENT. — MAN  J  OUR   BOATS.  187 

every  minute  the  picture  changed.  Hill,  forest,  cliff,  and 
valley  assumed  different  aspects  as  we  wound  our  sinuous 
way  up  the  defile.  Here  and  there  were  tiny  cascades  break- 
ing over  the  steep  rocks  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  and  occa- 
sionally a  little  meadow  peeped  out  from  the  mountain  val- 
leys. Some  features  of  the  scenery  reminded  me  of  the 
Highlands  of  the  Hudson,  or  the  Mississippi  above  Lake 
Pepin.  At  times  we  seemed  completely  enclosed  in  a  lake 
from  which  there  was  no  escape  save  by  climbing  the  hills. 
Frequently  it  was  impossible  to  discover  any  trace  of  an  open- 
ing half  a  mile  in  our  front.  Had  we  been  ascending  an  un- 
explored river  I  should  have  half  expected  to  find  it  issuing 
like  a  huge  spring  from  the  base  of  a  high  mountain. 

The  Russian  villages  in  these  mountains  are  located  in  the 
valleys  of  streams  flowing  to  the  Amoor.  In  one  bend  we 
found  a  solitary  house  newly-erected  and  waiting  its  occupants 
who  should  keep  the  post-station  in  winter.  We  sent  a  Cos- 
sack ashore  in  a  skiff  at  this  point,  and  he  came  near  falling 
into  the  river  while  descending  the  steps  at  the  steamer's  side. 
While  returning  from  the  bank  one  of  the  men  in  the  skiff 
broke  an  oar  and  fell  overboard,  which  obliged  us  to  back  the 
steamer  nearly  half  a  mile  down  the  river  to  pick  him  up. 
The  unlucky  individual  was  arrayed  in  the  only  suit  of  clothes 
he  possessed,  and  was  hung  up  to  dry  in  the  engine  room. 

A  mile  above  this  landing  place  we  passed  two  Manjour 
boats  ascending  the  stream.  These  boats  were  each  about 
twenty  feet  long,  sitting  low  in  the  water  with  the  bow  more 
elevated  than  the  stern,  and  had  a  mast  in  the  center  for  car- 
rying a  small  sail.  In  the  first  boat  I  counted  six  men,  four 
pushing  with  poles,  one  steering,  and  the  sixth,  evidently  the 
proprietor,  lying  at  ease  on  the  baggage.  Where  the  nature 
of  the  ground  permits  the  crew  walk  along  the  shore  and  tow 
the  boat. 

The  men  were  in  cotton  garments  and  conical  hats,  and 
their  queues  of  hair  hung  like  ships  pennants  in  a  dead  calm, 
or  the  tails  of  a  group  of  scared  dogs.  They  seemed  to  en- 
joy themselves,  and  were  laughing  merrily  as  we  went  past 


188 


MANY   NAMES   FOR   THE  AMOOR. 


them.  They  waved  their  hands  up  the  stream  as  if  urging 
us  to  go  ahead  and  say  they  were  coming.  The  one  reclining 
was  a  venerable  personage,  with  a  thin  beard  fringing  a  se- 
date visage,  into  which  he  drew  long  whiffs  and  comfort  from 
a  Chinese  pipe. 

These  boats  were  doubtless  from  Kirin  or  San-Sin,  on  their 
way  to  Igoon.    The  voyage  must  be  a  tedious  one  to  any  but 

a  Mongol, 
much  like  the 
navigation  of 
the  Mississip- 
pi before  the 
days  of  steam- 
boats.  In 
spite  of  the 
great  advant- 
ages to  com- 
merce, the 
Ma nj ours  r  e- 
sisted  to  the 
last  the  intro- 
duction of  steam  on  the  Amoor  just  as  they  now  oppose  it 
on  the  Songaree. 

In  the  language  of  the  natives  along  its  banks  the  Amoor 
has  several  names.  The  Chinese  formerly  called  the  Songa- 
ree^' Ku-tong,'  and  considered  the  lower  Amoor  a  part  of  that 
stream.  Above  the  Songaree  the  Amoor  was  called  '  Sakha- 
lin-Oula,'  (black  water,)  by  the  Manjours  and  Chinese.  The 
Goldees  named  it '  Mongo,'  and  the  Gilyaks  called  it 4  Mamoo.' 
The  name  Amoor  was  given  by  the  Russians,  and  is  considered 
a  corruption  of  the  Gilyak  word.  When  Mr.  Collins  descend- 
ed, in  1857,  the  natives  near  Igoon  did  not  or  would  not  un- 
derstand him  when  he  spoke  of  the  Amoor.  They  called  the 
river  '  Sakhalin,'  a  name  which  the  Russians  gave  to  the  long 
island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor.  As  the  Mongolian  maps 
do  not  reach  the  outside  world  I  presume  the  Russian  names 
are  most  likely  to  endure  with  geographers. 


MAN  JOUR  BOAT. 


WOMEN   IN   THE   OPEN  AIR. 


189 


The  upper  part  of  the  defile  of  the  Buryea  Mountains  is 
wider  and  has  more  meadows  than  the  lower  portion.  On 
one  of  these  meadows,  where  there  is  a  considerable  extent 
of  arable  land,  we  found  the  Tillage  of  Raddevski,  named  in 
honor  of  the  naturalist  Raddy,  who  explored  this  region. 
The  resources  here  were  excellent,  if  I  may  judge  by  the 
quantity  and  quality  of  edibles  offered  to  our  steward.  The 
people  of  both  sexes  flocked  to  the  landing  with  vegetables, 
bread,  chickens,  butter,  and  other  good  things  in  much  larger 
quantity  than  we  desired.  There  was  a  liberal  supply  of  pigs 
and  chickens,  with  many  wild  geese  and  ducks.  We  bought 
a  pig  and  kept  him  on  board  three  or  four  days.  He  squealed 
without  cessation,  until  our  captain  considered  him  a  bore, 
and  ordered  him  killed  and  roasted. 

Pigs  were  generally  carried  in  bags  or  in  the  arms  of  their 
owners.  One  day  a  woman  brought  a  thirty  pound  pig  sus- 
pended over  her  shoulder.  The  noise  and  kicking  of  the 
brute  did  not  disturb  her,  and  she  held  him  as  unconcernedly 
as  if  he  were  an  infant.  Finding  no  market  for  her  property, 
she  turned  it  loose  and  allowed  it  to  take  its  own  way  home. 
Milk  was  almost  invariably  brought  in  bottles,  and  eggs  in 
boxes  or  baskets.  Eggs  were  sold  by  the  dizaine  (ten,)  and 
not  as  with  us  by  the  dozen. 

At  Raddevski  several  kinds  of  berries  were  offered  us,  but 
only  the  blackberry  and  whortleberry  were  familiar  to  my 
eyes.  One  berry,  of  which  I  vainly  tried  to  catch  the  Rus- 
sian name,  was  of  oblong  shape,  three-fourths  an  inch  in 
length,  and  had  the  taste  of  a  sweet  grape.  It  was  said  to 
grow  on  a  climbing  vine.  Cedar  nuts  were  offered  in  large 
quantities,  but  I  did  not  purchase. 

Here,  as  elsewhere  on  the  lower  Amoor,  men  and  women 
labor  together  in  the  fields  and  engage  equally  in  marketing 
at  the  boats.  I  was  much  amused  in  watching  the  commer- 
cial transactions  between  the  peasants  and  our  steward.  I 
could  not  understand  what  was  said,  but  the  conversation  in 
loud  tones  and  with  many  words  had  much  the  appearance 
of  an  altercation.    Several  times  I  looked  around  expecting 


190 


A  NEW   LOT   OP  NATIVES. 


to  see  blows,  but  the  excitement  was  confined  to  the  vocal 
organs  alone. 

The  passage  of  the  Amoor  through  the  Buryea  mountains 
is  nearly  a  hundred  miles  in  length.  Toward  the  upper  end 
the  mountains  are  more  precipitous  and  a  few  peaks  rise  high 
above  the  others,  like  The  Sentinels  in  Yosemite  valley.  The 
last  cliff  before  one  reaches  the  level  country  is  known  as 
Cape  Svcrbef,  a  bold  promontory  that  projects  into  the  river 
and  is  nearly  a  thousand  feet  high.  Not  far  from  this  cliff 
is  a  flat-topped  mountain  remarkable  for  several  crevices  on 
its  northern  side,  from  which  currents  of  cold  air  steadily  is- 
sue. Ice  forms  around  these  fissures  in  midsummer,  and  a 
thermometer  suspended  in  one  of  them  fell  in  an  hour  to  30° 
Fahrenheit. 

An  hour  after  passing  the  mountains  I  saw  a  dozen  conical 
huts  on  the  Chinese  shore  and  a  few  dusky  natives  lounging 
in  front  of  them.  The}7  reminded  me  of  the  lodges  of  our 
noble  red  men  as  I  saw  them  west  of  the  Missouri  several 
years  before.  Instead  of  being  Cheyennes  or  Sioux  they 
proved  to  be  Birars,  a  tribe  of  wandering  Tunguse  who  in- 
habit this  region.  Their  dwellings  were  of  light  poles  cov- 
ered with  birch  bark.  One  of  the  native  gentlemen  was  near 
the  bank  of  the  river  in  the  attitude  of  an  orator,  but  not 
properly  dressed  for  a  public  occasion.  His  only  garments 
were  a  hat  and  a  string  of  beads,  and  he  was  accompanied 
by  a  couple  of  young  ladies  in  the  same  picturesque  costume, 
minus  the  hat  and  beads. 

These  Tungusians  lead  a  nomadic  life.  Above  the  mouth 
of  the  Zeya  there  are  two  other  tribes  of  similar  character, 
the  Managres  and  Orochons.  The  principal  difference  be- 
tween them  is  that  the  former  keep  the  horse  and  the  latter 
the  reindeer.  The  Birars  have  no  beasts  of  burden  except  a 
very  few  horses. 

None  of  these  people  live  in  permanent  houses,  but  move 
about  wherever  attracted  by  fishing  or  the  chase.  During 
spring  and  summer  they  generally  live  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  where  they  catch  and  cure  fish.    Their  scaffoldings  and 


AMONG   THE  TUNOUZJANS. 


191 


storehouses  were  like  those  ol  the  natives  already  described, 
and  during  their  migrations  are  left  without  guards  and  uni- 
versally respected.  Their  fish  are  dried  for  winter  use,  and 
they  sell  the  roe  of  the  sturgeon  to  the  Russians  for  making 
caviar. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  caviar  was  at  Nicolayevsk,  and 
I  soon  learned  to  like  it.  It  is  generally  eaten  with  bread, 
and  forms  an  important  ingredient  in  the  Russian  lunch. 
On  the  Volga  its  preparation  engages  a  great  many  men,  and 
the  caviar  from  that  river  is  found  through  the  whole  empire. 
Along  the  Amoor  the  business  is  in  its  infancy,  the  produc- 
tion thus  far  being  for  local  consumption.  I  think  if  some 
enterprising  American  would  establish  the  preparation  of  ca- 
viar on  the  Hudson  where  the  sturgeon  is  abundant,  he  could 
make  a  handsome  profit  in  shipping  it  to  Russia. 

The  roe  is  taken  from  the  fish  and  carefully  washed.  The 
membrane  that  holds  the  eggs  together  is  then  broken,  and 
after  a  second  washing  the  substance  is  ready  for  salting. 
One  kind  for  long  carriage  and  preservation  is  partially  dried 
and  then  packed  and  sealed  in  tin  cans.  The  other  is  put  in 
kegs,  without  pressing,  and  cannot  be  kept  a  long  time. 

In  the  autumn  and  winter  the  natives  are  hunters.  They 
chase  elk  and  deer  for  their  flesh,  and  sables,  martens,  and 
squirrels  for  their  furs.  Squirrels  are  especially  abundant, 
and  a  good  hunter  will  frequently  kill  a  thousand  in  a  single 
season.  The  Siberian  squirrel  of  commerce  comes  from  this 
region  by  way  of  Irkutsk  and  St.  Petersburg.  The  natives 
hunt  the  bear  and  are  occasionally  hunted  by  him. 

At  one  landing  a  Birar  exhibited  an  elk  skin  which  he 
wished  to  exchange  for  tobacco,  and  was  quite  delighted  when 
I  gave  him  a  small  quantity  of  the  latter.  He  showed  me  a 
scar  on  his  arm  where  a  bear  had  bitten  him  two  or  three 
years  before.  The  marks  of  the  teeth  and  the  places  where 
the  flesh  was  torn  could  be  easily  seen,  but  I  was  unable  to 
learn  the  particulars  of  his  adventure. 

These  Tungusians  are  rather  small  in  stature,  and  their 
arms  and  legs  are  thin.    Their  features  are  broad,  their 


192 


A   MODERN  FORTIFICATION. 


mouths  large  and  lips  narrow,  and  their  hair  is  black  and 
smooth,  the  men  having  very  little  beard.  Their  clothing  is 
of  the  skins  of  elk  and  deer,  with  some  garments  of  cotton 
cloth  of  Chinese  manufacture.  Most  of  the  men  I  saw  wore 
a  belt  at  the  waist,  to  which  several  articles  of  daily  use  were 
attached. 

At  each  Russian  settlement  above  the  mountains  I  observed 
a  large  post  painted  in  the  official  colors  and  supporting  a 
board  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  village.  It  was  fixed 
close  to  the  landing  place,  and  evidently  designed  for  the 
convenience  of  strangers.  One  of  my  exercises  in  learning 
the  language  of  the  country  was  to  ^pell  the  names  on  these 
signs.  I  found  I  could  usually  spell  much  faster  if  I  knew 
beforehand  the  name  of  a  village.  It  was  like  having  a 
Bonn's  translation  of  a  Latin  exercise. 

At  the  village  of  Inyakentief  I  saw  the  first  modern  forti- 
fication since  leaving  Nicolayevsk, — a  simple  lunette  without 
cannon  but  with  several  hundred  cannon  shot  somewhat  rusty 
with  age.  The  governor  of  this  village  was  a  prince  by  title, 
and  evidently  controlled  his  subjects  very  well.  I  saw 
Madame  the  princess,  but  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  her 
acquaintance.  She  was  dressed  in  a  costume  of  which  crino- 
line, silk,  and  ribbons  were  component  parts,  contrasting 
sharply  with  the  coarse  garments  of  the  peasant  women. 

This  village  had  recently  sold  a  large  quantity  of  wheat 
and  rye  to  the  government.  It  had  the  best  church  1  had 
seen  since  leaving  Nicolayevsk,  and  its  general  appearance 
was  prosperous.  Among  the  women  that  came  to  the  boat 
was  one  who  recognized  Borasdine  as  an  old  acquaintance. 
She  hastened  back  to  her  house  and  brought  him  two  loaves 
of  bread  made  from  wheat  of  that  year's  growth.  As  a  token 
of  friendship  he  gave  her  a  piece  of  sugar  weighing  a  pound 
or  two  and  a  glass  of  bad  brandy  that  brought  many  tears  to 
her  eyes.  I  think  she  was  at  least  fifteen  minutes  drinking 
the  fiery  liquid,  which  she  sipped  as  one  would  take  a  com- 
pound of  cayenne  pepper  and  boiling  water.     The  worst 


EASY   NAVIGATION. — NET   FISHING.  193 


'  tanglefoot'  or  4  forty-rod'  from  Cincinnati  or  St.  Louis  would 
have  been  nectar  by  the  side  of  that  brandy. 

The  country  for  a  hundred  miles  or  more  above  the  Buryea 
mountains  was  generally  level.  Here  and  there  were  hills 
and  ridges,  and  in  the  background  on  the  south  a  few  moun_ 
tains  were  visible.  There  were  many  islands  which,  with  the 
banks  of  alluvium,  were  evidently  cut  by  the  river  in  high 
freshets.  Where  the  beach  sloped  to  the  water  there  was  a 
little  driftwood,  and  I  could  see  occasional  logs  resting  upon 
islands  and  sand  bars. 

When  taken  in  a  tumbler  the  water  of  the  Amoor  appeared 
perfectly  clear,  but  in  the  river  it  had  a  brownish  tinge. 
There  were  no  snags  and  no  floating  timber.  I  never  fancied 
an  iron  boat  for  river  travel  owing  to  the  ease  of  puncturing 
it.  On  the  Mississippi  or  Missouri  it  would  be  far  from  safe, 
but  on  the  Amoor  there  are  fewer  perils  of  navigation. 
More  boats  have  been  lost  there  from  carelessness  or  igno- 
rance than  from  accidents  really  unavoidable.  The  Amoor 
is  much  like  what  the  Mississippi  would  be  with  all  its  snags 
removed  and  its  channel  made  permanent. 

While  among  the  islands  I  saw  a  small  flotilla  of  boats  in 
line  across  a  channel,  and  after  watching  them  through  a 
glass  discovered  they  were  hauling  a  net.  There  were  ten  or 
twelve  summer  huts  on  the  point  of  an  island,  and  the  boats 
were  at  least  twice  as  many.  A  dozen  men  on  shore  were 
hauling  a  net  that  appeared  well  filled  with  fish.  I  do  not 
think  a  single  native  looked  up  as  we  passed.  Possibly  they 
have  a  rule  there  not  to  attend  to  outside  matters  when  exer- 
cising their  professions. 


13 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  second  day  above  the  mountains  we  passed  a  region 
of  wide  prairie  stretching  far  to  the  north  and  bearing 
a  dense  growth  ofrank  grass  and  bushes,  with  a  few  clumps 
of  trees.  On  the  Chinese  side  there  were  hills  that  sloped 
gently  to  the  river's  edge  or  left  a  strip  of  meadow  between 
them  and  the  water.  Many  hills  were  covered  with  a  thin 
forest  of  oaks  and  very  little  underbrush.  At  a  distance  the 
ground  appeared  as  if  carefully  trimmed  for  occupation, 
especially  as  it  had  a  few  open  places  like  fields.  In  the  sere 
and  yellow  leaf  of  autumn  these  groves  were  charming,  and 
I  presume  they  are  equally  so  in  the  fresh  verdure  of  summer. 

If  by  some  magic  the  Amoor  could  be  transferred  to  Ame- 
rica, and  change  its  mouth  from  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  to  the 
Bay  of  New  York,  a  multitude  of  fine  mansions  would  soon 
rise  on  its  banks. 

Among  the  islands  that  stud  this  portion  of  the  river  we 
passed  the  steamer  Constantine  with  two  barges  in  tow.  She 
left  Nicolayevsk  twelve  days  before  us,  and  her  impediments 
made  her  journey  a  slow  one.  Her  barges  were  laden  with 
material  for  the  Amoor  telegraph,  then  under  construction. 
About  the  same  time  we  met  the  Nicolai  towing  a  barge  with 
a  quantity  of  cattle  destined  for  the  garrison  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  The  Nicolai  was  the  property  of  a  merchant  (Mr. 
Ludorf )  at  Nicolayevsk. 

The  village  of  Poyarkof,  where  we  stopped  for  wood,  im- 
pressed me  very  favorably.  It  was  carefully  laid  out,  and  its 
single  street  had  a  wide  and  deep  ditch  on  each  side,  crossed 
by  little  bridges.    The  houses  were  well  built  and  had  an  ah' 

(194) 


ADVICE   FOR   THE  EMPEROR. 


195 


of  neatness,  while  all  the  fences  were  substantial.  Very  few 
persons  visited  the  boat,  most  of  the  inhabitants  being  at 
work  in  the  fields.  We  walked  through  the  settlement,  and 
were  shown  specimens  of  wheat  and  rye  grown  in  the  vicin- 
ity. Four  or  five  men,  directed  by  a  priest,  were  building  a 
church,  and  two  others  were  cutting  plank  near  by  with  a 
primitive  'up-and-down'  saw.  The  officer  controlling  the 
village  was  temporarily  absent  with  the  farm  laborers.  All 
around  there  were  proofs  of  his  energy  and  industry. 

This  village  was  tme  of  the  military  colonies  of  the  Prov- 
ince of  the  Amoor.  When  in  proper  hands  the  military  set- 
tlement is  preferable  to  any  other,  as  the  men  are  more  ac- 
customed to  obeying  orders  and  work  in  greater  harmony 
than  the  peasants.  What  is  most  needed  is  an  efficient  and 
energetic  chief  to  each  village,  who  has  and  deserves  the  con- 
fidence of  his  people.  With  enough  of  the  fortiter  in  re  to 
repress  any  developments  of  laziness  and  prevent  intemper- 
ance, such  a  man  can  do  much  for  the  government  and  him- 
self. 

If  His  Imperial  Majesty  will  take  nine-tenths  of  his  pres- 
ent military  force  on  the  Amoor,  place  it  in  villages,  allow 
the  men  to  send  for  their  families,  and  put  the  villages  in  the 
hands  of  proper  chiefs  under  a  general  superintendent,  he 
will  take  a  long  step  toward  making  the  new  region  self-sus- 
taining. We  have  ample  proof  in  America  that  an  army  is 
an  expensive  luxury,  and  the  cost  of  maintaining  it  is  pro- 
portioned to  its  strength.  The  verb  '  to  soldier'  has  a  double 
meaning  in  English,  and  will  bear  translation.  On  distant 
stations  like  the  Amoor,  the  military  force  could  be  safely  re- 
duced to  a  small  figure  in  time  of  peace.  Less  play  and 
more  work  would  be  better  for  the  country  and  the  men. 

As  we  proceeded  up  the  river  there  was  another  change  of 
the  native  population.  The  tents  of  the  Birars  disappeared, 
and  we  entered  the  region  of  the  Manjours  and  Chinese. 
The  captain  called  my  attention  to  the  first  Manjour  village 
we  passed.  The  dwellings  were  one  story  high,  their  walls 
being  of  wood  with  a  plastering  of  mud.    The  chimneys 


190         MAN  JOUR   VILLAGES   AND  TEMPLES. 

were  on  the  outside  like  those  of  the  Goldees  already  de- 
scribed, and  the  roofs  of  the  houses  were  thatched  with  straw. 

The  Manjour  villages  are  noticeable  for  the  gardens  in  and 
around  them.  Each  house  that  I  saw  had  a  vegetable  garden 
that  appeared  well  cultivated.  In  the  corner  of  nearly  every 
garden  I  observed  a  small  building  like  a  sentry  box.  In 


apartment  by  a  pink  curtain.  This  curtain  has  religious  in- 
scriptions in  Chinese  and  Manjour.  In  the  inner  apartment 
there  are  pictures  of  Chinese  deities,  with  a  few  hideous  idols 
carved  in  wood.  A  table  in  front  of  the  pictures  receives 
the  offerings  of  worshippers. 

The  Manjours  appear  very  fond  of  surrounding  their  tem- 
ples with  trees,  and  this  is  particularly  noticeable  on  account 
of  the  scarcity  of  wood  in  this  region.  Timber  comes  from 
points  higher  up  the  Amoor,  where  it  is  cut  and  rafted  down. 
Small  trees  and  bushes  are  used  as  fuel  and  always  with  the 
strictest  economy.  The  grove  around  the  temple  is  held 
sacred,  as  among  the  Druids  in  England,  and  I  presume  a 


some  doubt  as  to  its  use, 
I  asked  information  of  my 
Russian  friends,  and  learn- 
ed it  was  a  temple  where 
the  family  idols  are  kept 
and  the  owners  go  to  offer 
their  prayers. 


A  PKIVATE  TEMPLE. 


Near  each  village  was  a 
grove  which  enclosed  a 
public  temple  on  the  plan 
of  a  church  in  civilized 
countries.  The  temple 
was  generally  a  square 
house,  built  with  more 
care  and  neatness  than  the 
private  dwellings.  On  en- 
tering, one  found  himself 
in  a  kind  of  ante-room, 
separated  from  the  main 


CHARACTERISTICS    OF   THE   NATIVES.  197 

native  would  suffer  long  from  cold  before  cutting  a  conse- 
crated tree. 

Along  the  river  near  the  first  village  several  boats  were 
moored  or  drawn  on  the  bank  out  of  reach  of  the  water.  A 
few  men  and  women  stood  looking  at  us,  and  some  of  them 
shouted  4  mendow '  when  we  were  directly  opposite  their  posi- 
tion.   Of  course  we  returned  their  salutation. 

Unlike  the  aboriginals  lower  down  the  river,  the  Manjours 
till  the  soil  and  make  it  their  chief  dependence.  I  saw  many 
fields  where  the  grain  was  uncut,  and  others  where  it  had 
been  reaped  and  stacked.  The  stacks  were  so  numerous  in 
proportion  to  the  population  that  there  must  be  a  large  sur- 
plus each  year.  Evidently  there  is  no  part  of  the  Amoor 
valley  more  fertile  than  this.  Horses  and  cattle  were  graz- 
ing in  the  meadows  and  looked  up  as  we  steamed  along0 
We  passed  a  dozen  horses  drinking  from  the  river,  and  set 
them  scampering  with  our  whistle. 

The  horse  is  used  here  for  carrying  light  loads,  but  with 
heavy  burdens  the  ox  finds  preference.  Along  the  Chinese 
shore  I  frequently  saw  clumsy  carts  moving  at  a  snail-like 
pace  between  the  villages.  Each  cart  had  its  wheels  fixed 
on  an  axle  that  generally  turned  with  them.  Frequently 
there  was  a  lack  of  grease,  and  the  screeching  of  the  vehicle 
was  rather  unpleasant  to  tender  nerves. 

Near  the  village  we  met  a  Manjour  boat,  evidently  the 
property  of  a  merchant.  The  difference  between  going  with 
and  against  the  current  was  apparent  by  comparing  the  pro- 
gress of  this  boat  with  the  one  I  saw  in  the  Buryea  moun- 
tains. One  struggled  laboriously  against  the  stream,  but  the 
other  had  nothing  to  do  beyond  keeping  where  the  water  ran 
swiftest.  This  one  carried  a  small  flag,  and  was  deeply  laden 
with  merchandise.  The  crew  was  dozing  and  the  man  at 
the  helm  did  not  appear  more  than  half  awake. 

Villages  were  passed  in  rapid  succession,  and  the  density 
of  the  population  was  in  agreeable  contrast  to  the  desolation 
of  many  parts  of  the  lower  Amoor.  It  was  a  panorama  of 
houses,  temples,  groves,  and  fields,  with  a  surrounding  of 


198 


A   DENSE  POPULATION. 


rich  meadows  and  gentle  hills.  There  was  a  range  of  low 
mountains  in  the  background,  but  on  the  Russian  shore  the 
flat  prairie  continued. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  we  passed  the  town  of  Yah- 
tou-kat-zou,  situated  on  the  Chinese  shore  .where  the  river 
makes  a  bend  toward  the  north  and  east.  It  had  nothing  of 
special  interest,  but  its  gardens  were  more  extensive  and 
more  numerous  than  in  the  villages  below.  Just  above  it 
there  was  a  bay  forming  a  neat  harbor  containing  several 
boats  and  barges.  When  the  Chinese  controlled  the  Amoor 
they  occupied  this  bay  as  a  dock-yard  and  naval  station. 
Had  my  visit  been  ten  or  twelve  years  earlier  I  should  have 
seen  several  war  junks  anchored  here.  When  the  Russians 
obtained  the  river  the  Chinese  transferred  their  navy  to  the 
Songaree. 

From  this  ancient  navy  yard  the  villages  stretched  in  a 
nearly  continuous  line  along  the  southern  bank,  and  were 
quite  frequent  on  the  northern  one.  We  saw  three  Manjour 
women  picking  berries  on  the  Russian  shore.  One  carried  a 
baby  over  her  shoulders  much  after*  the  manner  of  the  Amer- 
ican Indians.  These  women  wore  garments  of  blue  cotton 
shaped  much  like  the  gowns  of  the  Russian  peasants.  Near 
them  a  boat  was  moving  along  the  shore,  carrying  a  crew 
consisting  of  a  man,  a  boy,  and  a  dog.  The  boat,  laden  with 
hay,  was  evidently  destined  for  '  cows  and  a  market.'  Near 
it  was  another  boat  rowed  by  two  men,  carrying  six  women 
and  a  quantity  of  vegetables.  Some  of  the  women  were 
sorting  the  vegetables,  and  all  watched  our  boat  with  interest. 
From  the  laughter  as  we  passed  I  concluded  the  remarks  on 
our  appearance  were  not  complimentary. 

The  scene  on  this  part  of  the  river  was  picturesque.  There 
were  many  boats,  from  the  little  canoe  or  4  dug-out,'  propelled 
by  one  man,  up  to  the  barge  holding  several  tons  of  merchan- 
dise. The  one-man  boats  were  managed  with  a  double-bladed 
oar,  such  as  I  have  already  described.  Nearly  every  boat 
that  carried  a  mast  had  a  flag  or  streamer  attached  to  it,  and 
some  had  dragons'  heads  on  their  bows.    Would  Lindley 


NOVEL   FISHING  APPARATUS. 


199 


Murray  permit  me  to  say  that  I  saw  one  barge  manned  by 
ten  women  ? 

Though  subsisting  mainly  by  agriculture  and  pastoral  pur- 
suits, the  Manjours  devote  considerable  time  to  fishing.  One 
fishing  implement  bore  a  faint  resemblance  to  a  hand-cart,  as 
it  had  an  axle  with  two  small  wheels  and  long  handles.  A 


FISHING  IMPLEMENTS. 

frame  over  the  axle  sustained  a  pole,  to  which  a  net  was  fast- 
ened. The  machine  could  be  pushed  into  the  water  and  the 
net  lowered  to  any  position  suitable  for  entrapping  fish. 

Occasionally  I  saw  a  native  seated  on  the  top  of  a  tripod 
about  ten  feet  high,  placed  at  the  edge  of  the  river.  Here 
he  fished  with  pole,  net,  or  spear,  according  to  circumstances. 
He  always  appeared  to  me  as  if  left  there  during  a  freshet 
and  waiting  for  the  river  to  rise  and  let  him  off. 

At  one  place  two  boys  were  seated  cross-legged  near  the 
water  and  fishing  with  long  poles.  They  were  so  intent  in 
looking  at  us  that  they  did  not  observe  the  swell  of  the 
steamer  until  thoroughly  drenched  by  it.  As  they  stood  drip- 
ping on  the  sand  they  laughed  good-naturedly  at  the  occur- 
rence, and  soon  seated  themselves  again  at  their  employment. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  I  saw  a  village  larger  than  all  the 
others,  lying  in  a  bend  of  the  river,  stretching  three  or  four 
miles  along  the  bank  and  a  less  distance  away  from  it.  This 


200 


HOUSES,   TEMPLES,    AND  FORTS. 


was  Igoon,  the  principal  place  of  the  Chinese  on  the  Amoor, 
and  once  possessing  considerable  power.  Originally  the  fort 
and  town  of  Igoon  were  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  four 
miles  below  the  present  site.  The  location  was  changed  in 
1690,  and  when  the  new  town  was  founded  it  grew  quite 
rapidly.  For  a  long  time  it  was  a  sort  of  Botany  Bay  for 
Pekin,  and  its  early  residents  were  mostly  exiles.  At  present 
its  population  is  variously  estimated  from  twenty  to  fifty 
thousand.  The  Chinese  do  not  give  any  information  on  this 
point,  and  the  Russian  figures  concerning  it  are  based  upon 
estimates. 

Igoon  was  formerly  the  capital  of  the  Chinese  '  Province 
of  the  Amoor,'  but  is  now  destitute  of  that  honor.  The  seat 
of  government  was  removed  about  twenty  years  ago  to  Sit- 
si-gar. 

As  we  approached  Igoon  I  could  see  below  it  many  herds 
of  cattle  and  horses  driven  by  mounted  men.  There  was 
every  appearance  of  agricultural  prosperity.  It  was  near  the 
end  of  harvest,  and  most  of  the  grain  was  stacked  in  the 
fields.  Here  and  there  were  laborers  at  work,  and  I  could 
see  many  people  on  the  bank  fronting  the  river.  Around  the 
city  were  groves  enclosing  the  temples  which  held  the  shrines 
consecrated  to  Mongol  worship,  as  the  cross  is  reverenced  by 
the  followers  of  the  Christian  faith. 

The  city  had  a  sombre  look,  as  all  the  houses  were  black. 
The  buildings  were  of  wood  plastered  with  mud,  and  nearly 
all  of  one  story.  Over  the  temples  in  the  city  there  were 
flag-staffs,  but  with  no  banners  hanging  from  them  or  on  the 
outer  walls.  The  governor's  house  and  the  arsenals  were 
similarly  provided  with  tall  poles  rising  from  the  roofs,  but 
here  as  elsewhere  no  flags  were  visible. 

Along  the  beach  there  were  many  rafts  of  logs  beside 
numerous  boats  either  drawn  on  shore  or  moored  to  posts  or 
stakes.  Fishermen  and  boys  were  sitting  cross-legged  near 
the  water,  and  the  inattention  of  several  caused  their  drench- 
ing by  our  swell.  Idle  men  stood  on  the  bank  above  the 
beach,  nearly  all  smoking  their  little  brass  pipes  with  appar- 


AN   UNOFFICIAL  VISIT. 


201 


ent  unconcern.  Men  and  women,  principally  the  latter,  were 
carrying  water  from  the  river  in  buckets,  which  they  balanced 
from  the  ends  of  a  neck-yoke. 

We  dropped  anchor  and  threw  a  line  that  was  made  fast 
by  a  young  Manjour.  On  shore  we  met  several  residents, 
who  greeted  us  civilly  and  addressed  the  captain  in  Russian. 
Most  of  the  Manjour  merchants  have  learned  enough  Russian 
to  make  a  general  conversation,  especially  in  transacting 
business. 

I  was  introduced  as  an  American  who  had  come  a  long  dis- 
tance purposely  to  see  Igoon.  The  governor  was  absent,  so 
that  it  was  not  possible  to  call  on  him.  We  were  shown  to 
a  temple  near  at  hand,  a  building  fifteen  feet  by  thirty,  with 
a  red  curtain  at  the  door  and  a  thick  carpet  of  matting  over 
a  brick  pavement.  The  altar  was  veiled,  but  its  covering 
was  lifted  to  allow  me  to  read,  if  I  could,  the  inscription  upon 
it.  It  stood  close  to  the  entrance,  like  the  screen  near  the 
door  of  a  New  York  bar-room.  There  were  several  pictures 
on  the  walls,  a  few  idols,  and  some  lanterns  painted  in  gaudy 
colors.  Outside  there  were  paintings  over  the  door,  some 
representing  Chinese  landscapes.  The  windows  were  of  lat- 
tice work,  the  roof  had  a  dragon's  head  at  each  end  of  the 
ridge,  and  a  mosaic  pavement  extended  like  a  sidewalk  around 
the  entire  building. 

Our  guide,  who  lived  near,  invited  us  to  his  house.  We 
entered  it  through  his  office,  which  contained  a  table,  three 
or  four  chairs,  and  a  few  account  books.  Out  of  this  we 
walked  into  a  large  apartment  used  for  lounging  by  day  and 
sleeping  at  night.  Its  principal  furniture  was  a  wide  divan 
at  one  side,  where  the  bed  clothing  of  three  or  four  persons 
was  rolled  into  neat  bundles.  It  turned  out  on  inquiry  that 
the  man  lived  in  two  houses,  the  principal  part  of  his  family 
being  domiciled  several  squares  away.  As  time  pressed  we 
did  not  stop  longer  than  to  thank  him  for  his  attention. 

The  streets  of  Igoon  reminded  me  of  New  York  under  the 
contract  system  four  or  five  years  ago.  We  walked  through 
one  street  upon  a  narrow  log  fixed  in  the  mud,  and  steadied 


202 


TRAFFIC    WITH    THE  NATIVES. 


ourselves  against  a  high  fence.  On  a  larger  thoroughfare 
there  were  some  dry  spots,  but  as  there  were  two  logs  to  walk 
upon  we  balanced  very  well.  Chinese  streets  rarely  have 
sidewalks,  and  every  pedestrian  must  care  for  himself  the 
best  way  he  can.  The  rains  the  week  before  my  visit  had 
reduced  the  public  ways  to  a  disagreeable  condition.  Were 
I  to  describe  the  measurement  of  the  Broadway  of  Igoon,  I 
Should  say  its  length  was  two  miles,  more  or  less,  its  width 
fifty  feet,  and  its  depth  two  feet. 

Our  captain  carried  a  sword  cane  which  confused  him  a 
little  as  the  lower  part  occasionally  stuck  in  the  mud  and 
came  off.  This  exposition  of  weapons  he  evidently  wished 
to  avoid.  On  the  principal  street  I  found  several  stores,  and, 
true  to  the  instinct  of  the  American  abroad,  stopped  to  buy 
something.  The  stores  had  the  front  open  to  the  street,  so 
that  one  could  stand  before  the  counter  and  make  his  pur- 
chases without  entering.  The  first  store  I  saw  had  six  or 
seven  clerks  and  very  little  else,  and  as  I  did  not  wish  a 
Chinese  clerk  I  moved  to  another  shop. 

For  the  articles  purchased  I  paid  only  five  times  their  ac- 
tual value,  as  I  afterward  learned.  The  merchants  and  their 
employees  appeared  to  talk  Russian  quite  fluently,  and  were 
earnest  in  urging  me  to  buy.  One  of  them  imitated  the 
tactics  of  Chatham  street,  and  became  very  voluble  over 
things  I  did  not  want. 

Holding  up  an  article  he  praised  its  good  qualities  and 
named  its  price. 

"  Five  roubles  ;  very  good  ;  five  roubles." 

I  shook  my  head. 

"  Four  roubles  ;  yes  ;  good  ;  four  roubles." 

Again  I  made  a  negation. 

"  Three  roubles  ;  very  good  ;  yes." 

I  continued  shaking  my  head  as  he  fell  to  two  and  a  half, 
two,  and  finally  to  one  rouble.  I  left  him  at  that  figure,  or 
it  is  possible  he  would  have  gone  still  lower. 

"  They  are  great  rascals,"  said  Borasdine  as  we  walked 
away.    "  They  ask  ten  times  the  real  price  and  hope  to  cheat 


VISITING   A   TARTAR  HAREM. 


203 


you  in  some  way.  It  is  difficult  to  buy  anything  here  for  its 
actual  value." 

We  went  through  more  streets  and  more  mud,  passing 
butchers'  shops  where  savage  dogs  growled  with  that  amiable 
tone  peculiar  to  butcher  dogs  everywhere.  We  passed  tea 
shops,  shoe  shops,  drug  stores,  and  other  establishments,  each 
with  a  liberal  number  of 'clerks.  Labor  must  be  cheap,  prof- 
its large,  or  business  brisk,  to  enable  the  merchants  to  main- 
tain so  many  employees. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  street  we  came  to  the  guard-house, 
near  the  entrance  of  the  military  quarters.  We  entered  the 
dirty  barrack,  but  saw  nothing  particularly  interesting.  I 
attempted  to  go  inside  the  room  where  the  instruments  of 
punishment  were  kept,  but  the  guard  stood  in  the  way  and 
would  not  move.  The  soldiers  in  this  establishment  had 
evidently  partaken  of  a  beverage  stronger  than  tea,  as  they 
were  inclined  to  too  much  familiarity.  One  patted  me  on 
the  shoulder  and  pressed  my  hand  affectionately,  indulging 
the  while  in  snatches  of  Chinese  songs. 

In  the  prison  were  two  or  three  unfortunates  with  their 
feet  shackled  so  as  to  prevent  their  stepping  more  than  four 
inches  at  a  time.  While  we  stood  there  a  gaily  dressed  offi- 
cer rode  past  us  on  a  magnificent  horse,  reminding  me  of  an 
American  militia  hero  on  training  day.  W"e  looked  at  the 
fence  of  palisades,  and  stepped  under  the  gateway  leading  to 
the  government  quarter.  Over  the  gate  was  a  small  room 
like  the  drawbridge  room  in  a  castle  of  the  middle  ages. 
Twenty  men  could  be  lodged  there  to  throw  arrows,  hot  water, 
or  Chinese  perfumery  on  the  invading  foe. 

A  Manjour  acquaintance  of  our  captain  invited  us  to  visit 
his  house.  We  entered  through  the  kitchen,  where  there 
was  a  man  frying  a  kind  of  6  twisted  doughnut '  in  vegetable 
oil.  The  flour  he  used  was  ground  in  the  Manjour  mills,  and 
lacked  the  fineness  of  European  or  American  flour.  Judging 
by  the  quantity  of  food  visible  the  family  must  have  been  a 
large  one. 

The  head  of  the  household  proclaimed  himself  a  Tartar, 


204 


FEMININE   COSTUMES   AT  IGOON. 


and  said  he  was  the  proprietor  of  four  wives.  I  smoked  a 
cigar  with  him,  and  during  our  interview  Borasdine  hinted 
that  we  would  like  to  inspect  his  harem.  After  a  little  de- 
corous hesitation,  he  led  us  across  an  open  and  muddy  court- 
yard to  a  house  where  a  dozen  women  were  in  the  confusion 
of  preparing  and  eating  supper.  With  four  wives  one  must 
have  a  proportionate  number  of  servants  and  retainers,  else 
he  cannot  maintain  6  style. ' 

Such  a  scene  of  confusion  I  never  saw  before  in  one  man's 
family.  There  were  twelve  or  fifteen  children  of  different 
ages  and  sexes,  and  not  one  silent.  Some  were  at  table, 
some  quarreling,  some  going  to  sleep,  and  some  waking. 
Two  women  were  in  serious  dispute,  and  the  Tartar  words 
poured  out  freely.  The  room  was  hot,  stifling,  and  filled 
with  as  many  odors  as  the  city  of  Cologne,  and  we  were  glad 
to  escape  into  the  open  air  as  soon  as  possible.  I  did  not 
envy  that  Mongol  gentleman  his  domestic  bliss,  and  am  in- 
clined to  think  he  considered  it  no  joke  to  be  as  much  mar- 
ried as  he  was. 

I  did  not  see  any  pretty  women  at  Igoon,  but  learned  after- 
ward that  they  exist  there.  The  Manjour  style  of  hair-dress- 
ing attracts  the  eye  of  a  stranger.  The  men  plait  the  hair 
after  the  Chinese  manner,  shaving  the  fore  part  of  the  head. 
The  women  wind  theirs  in  a  peculiar  knot,  in  about  the  posi- 
tion of  the  French  chignon.  They  pierce  this  knot  with  two 
long  pins  like  knitting  needles,  and  trim  it  with  bright  rib- 
bons and  real  or  artificial  flowers.  The  fashion  is  becoming, 
and,  excluding  the  needles,  I  would  not  be  surprised  to  see 
it  in  vogue  in  Western  civilization  within  half  a  dozen  years. 

The  men  wore  long  blue  coats  of  cotton  or  silk,  generally 
the  former,  loose  linen  trousers,  fastened  at  the  knee  or  made 
into  leggings,  and  Chinese  shoes  or  boots  of  skin.  The 
women  dress  in  pantaletts  and  blue  cotton  gowns  with  short, 
loose  sleeves,  above  which  they  wear  at  times  a  silk  cape  or 
mantle.  They  have  ear  rings,  bracelets,  and  finger  rings  in 
profusion,  and  frequently  display  considerable  taste  in  their 
adornment. 


MONGOLIAN  PASSENGERS. 


205 


It  was  nearly  sunset  when  we  landed  at  Igoon,  and  when 
we  finished  our  visit  to  the  Tartar  family  the  stars  were  out. 
The  delay  of  the  boat  was  entirely  to  give  me  a  view  of  a 
Chinese-Manjour  city.    Darkness  put  an  end  to  sight-seeing, 


A  CHINESE    FAMILY  PICTURE. 


and  so  we  hastened  to  the  steamer,  followed  by  a  large  crowd 
of  natives. 

We  took  three  or  four  Manjour  merchants  as  passengers  to 
Blagoveshchensk.  One  of  them  spent  the  evening  in  our 
cabin,  but  would  neither  drink  alcoholic  beverages  nor  smoke. 
This  appeared  rather  odd  among  a  people  who  smoke  per- 
sistently and  continually.  Men,  women,  and  children  are 
addicted  to  the  practice,  and  the  amount  of  tobacco  they  bum 
is  enormous. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


AT  daylight  on  the  morning  after  leaving  lgoon,  we  were 
passing  the  mouth  of  the  Zeya,  a  river  half  a  mile 
wide,  flowing  with  a  strong  current.  It  was  along  this  river 
that  the  first  white  men  who  saw  the  Amoor  found  their  way. 
It  is  said  to  be  practicable  for  steam  navigation  three  or  four 
hundred  miles  from  its  mouth.  At  present  four  or  five  thou- 
sand peasants  are  settled  along  the  Zeya,  with  excellent  agri- 
cultural prospects.  As  I  came  on  deck  rubbing  my  half- 
opened  eyes,  I  saw  a  well-built  town  on  the  Russian  shore. 

"  Blagoveshchensk,' '  said  the  steward,  as  he  waved  his  arm 
in  that  direction. 

I  well  knew  that  the  capital  of  the  Province  of  the  Amoor 
was  just  above  the  mouth  of  the  Zeya.  It  stands  on  a  prairie 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  the  river,  and  when  approached 
from  the  south  its  appearance  is  pleasing.  The  houses  are 
large  and  well  built,  and  each  has  plenty  of  space  around  it. 
Some  of  them  have  flower  gardens  in  front,  and  a  public  park 
was  well  advanced  toward  completion  at  the  time  of  my  ar- 
rival. 

A  wharf  extended  into  the  river  at  an  angle  of  forty  de- 
grees with  the  shore.  The  steamer  Korsackoff  was  moored 
at  this  wharf,  with  a  barge  nearly  her  own  size.  The  Ingo- 
dah  tied  to  the  bank  just  below  the  wharf,  and  was  welcomed 
by  the  usual  crowd  of  soldiers  and  citizens,  with  a  fair  num- 
ber of  Manjours  from  the  other  bank. 

On  landing,  I  called  upon  Colonel  Pedeshenk,  the  governor 
of  the  Province,  and  delivered  my  letters  of  introduction. 
The  Colonel  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  that  day,  and  stated 

(206) 


DINNER   WITH    A  GOVERNOR. 


207 


that  several  officers  of  his  command  would  be  present.  After 
this  visit  and  a  few  others,  I  went  with  Captain  Borasdine  to 
attend  the  funeral  of  the  late  Major  General  Bussy.  This 
gentleman  was  five  years  governor  of  the  Province  of  the 
Amoor,  and  resigned  in  1866  on  account  of  ill-health.  He 
died  on  his  way  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  news  of  his  death 
reached  Blagoveshchensk  three  days  before  my  arrival.  I 
happened  to  reach  the  town  on  the  morning  appointed  for  the 
funeral  service. 

The  church  was  crowded,  everybody  standing,  according  to 
the  custom  prevailing  in  Russia.  Colonel  Pedeshenk  and  his 
officers  were  in  full  uniform,  and  almost  all  present  held 
lighted  candles.  Five  or  six  priests,  with  an  Archbishop, 
conducted  the  ceremonies.  The  services  consisted  of  a  rit- 
ual, read  and  intoned  by  the  priests,  with  chanting  by  the 
choir  of  male  voices.  The  Archbishop  was  in  full  robes  be- 
longing to  his  position,  and  his  long  gray  beard  and  reverend 
face  gave  him  a  patriarchal  appearance.  When  the  ceremony 
was  finished  the  congregation  opened  to  the  right  and  left  to 
permit  the  governor  and  officers  to  pass  out  first.  From  be- 
ginning to  end  the  service  lasted  about  an  hour. 

Colonel  Pedeshenk  had  been  governor  but  a  few  months, 
and  awaited  confirmation  in  his  position.  Having  served 
long  on  the  staff  of  General  Bussy,  he  was  disposed  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessor  and  carry  out  his  plans  for 
developing  the  resources  of  his  district. 

At  the  appointed  hour  I  went  to  dine  at  the  governor's, 
where  I  found  eight  or  ten  officers  and  the  young  wife  of 
Colonel  Pedeshenk.  We  spent  a  half-hour  on  the  balcony, 
where  there  was  a  charming  view  of  the  river  and  the  Chinese 
shore  with  its  background  of  mountains.  The  governor's 
house  was  more  like  a  mansion  in  a  venerable  town  than  in 
a  settlement  less  than  ten  years  old.  The  reception  hall 
would  have  made  a  good  ball-room  anywhere  out  of  the  large 
cities. 

The  charming  young  madame  did  not  speak  English  but 
was  fluent  in  French.    She  was  from  Irkutsk,  and  had  spent 


208       A   POLYGLOT   DOCTOR   AND   HIS  FAMILY. 

several  years  in  the  schools  and  society  of  St.  Petersburg. 
She  had  many  reminiscences  of  the  capital,  and  declared 
herself  delighted  with  her  home  on  the  Amoor.  After  din- 
ner we  retired  to  the  balcony  for  prosaic  tea  drinking  and  a 
poetical  study  of  the  glories  of  an  autumn  sunset  behind  the 
hills  of  Manjouria. 

There  was  no  hotel  in  the  town,  and  I  had  wondered  where 
I  should  lodge.  Before  I  had  been  half  an  hour  on  shore,  I 
was  invited  by  Dr.  Snider,  the  surgeon  in  chief  of  the  prov- 
ince, to  make  my  home  at  his  house.  The  doctor  spoke  Eng- 
lish fluently,  and  told  me  he  learned  it  from  a  young  Ameri- 
can at  Ayan  several  years  before.  He  was  ten  years  in  gov- 
ernment service  at  Ayan,  and  met  there  many  of  my  country- 
men. Once  he  contemplated  emigrating  to  New  Bedford  at 
the  urgent  solicitation  of  a  whaling  captain  who  frequently 
came  to  the  Ohotsk  sea. 

Dr.  Snider  was  from  the  German  provinces  of  Russia,  and 
his  wife,  a  sister  of  Admiral  Fulyelm,  was  born  in  Sweden. 
They  usually  conversed  in  German  but  addressed  their  chil- 
dren in  Russian.  They  had  a  Swedish  housemaid  who  spoke 
her  own  language  in  the  family  and  only  used  Russian  when 
she  could  not  do  otherwise.  Madame  Snider  told  me  her 
children  spoke  Swedish  and  Russian  with  ease,  and  under- 
stood German  very  well.  They  intended  having  a  French  or 
English  governess  in  course  of  time. 

"  I  speak,"  said  the  doctor,  "  German  with  my  wife,  Swed- 
ish to  the  housemaid,  Russian  to  my  other  servants,  French 
with  some  of  the  officers,  English  with  occasional  travelers, 
and  a  little  Chinese  and  Manjour  with  the  natives  over  the 
river." 

Blagoveshchensk  has  a  pretty  situation,  and  I  should 
greatly  prefer  it  to  Nicolayevsk  for  permanent  habitation. 
In  the  middle  of  the  Amoor  valley  and  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Zeya,  its  commercial  advantages  are  good  and  its  importance 
increases  every  year.  It  was  founded  in  1858  by  General 
Mouravieff,  but  did  not  receive  any  population  worthy  of  men- 
tion until  after  the  treaty  of  Igoon  in  1860.    The  government 


MUD   WALLS   AND   THATCHED  ROOFS. 


209 


buildings  are  large  and  well  constructed,  logs  being  the  ma- 
terial in  almost  universal  use  for  making  walls.  A  large  un- 
finished house  for  the  telegraph  was  pointed  out  to  me,  and 
several  warehouses  were  in  process  of  erection. 

Late  one  afternoon  the  captain  of  the  steamer  Korsackoff 
invited  me  to  visit  Sakhalin-Oula-Hotun  (city  of  the  black 
river)  on  the  opposite  shore.  Though  called  a  city  it  cannot 
justly  claim  more  than  two  thousand  inhabitants.  There 
was  a  crowd  on  the  bank  similar  to  the  one  at  Igoon,  most  of 
the  women  and  girls  standing  with  their  arms  folded  in  their 
sleeves.  Several  were  seated  close  to  the  water  and  met  the 
same  misfortune  as  those  in  similar  positions  at  Igoon.  The 
Korsackoff  made  a  much  greater  swell  than  the  Ingodah,  and 
those  who  caught  its  effects  were  well  moistened.  We  landed 
from  the  steamer's  boat  and  ascended  the  bank  to  the  village. 
Several  fat  old  Manjours  eyed  us  closely  and  answered  with 
great  brevity  our  various  questions. 

Sakhalin-Oula  stretches  more  than  a  mile  along  the  bank, 
but  extends  only  a  few  rods  back  from  the  river.  Practically 
it  consists  of  a  single  street,  which  is  quite  narrow  in  several 
places  The  houses  are  like  those  of  Igoon,  with  frames  of 
logs  and  coverings  of  boards,  or  with  log  walls  plastered  with 
mud.  The  windows  of  stores  and  dwellings  are  of  lattice 
work  covered  with  oiled  paper,  glass  being  rarely  used. 

The  roofs  of  the  buildings  were  covered  with  thatch  of 
wheat  straw  several  inches  thick,  that  must  offer  excellent 
facilities  for  taking  fire.  Probably  the  character  of  this 
thatch  accounts  for  the  chimneys  rising  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
from  the  buildings.  I  saw  several  men  arranging  one  of 
these  roofs.  On  a  foundation  of  poles  they  laid  bundles  of 
straw,  overlapping  them  as  we  overlap  shingles,  and  cutting 
the  boards  to  allow  the  straw  to  spread  evenly.  This  kind 
of  covering  must  be  renewed  every  two  or  three  years.  Sev- 
eral thatches  were  very  much  decayed,  and  in  one  of  them 
there  was  a  fair  growth  of  grass.  The  village  was  embowered 
in  trees  in  contrast  to  the  Russian  shore  where  the  only  trees 
were  those  in  the  park.  I  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  cause 
14 


210        A   MONGOLIAN   GOVERNMENT  OFFICE. 

of  this  difference,  but  could  not.  The  Russians  said  there 
was  often  a  variation  of  three  or  four  degrees  in  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  two  banks,  the  Chinese  one  being  the  milder. 
Timber  for  both  Chinese  and  Russian  use  is  cut  in  the  forests 
up  the  Amoor  and  rafted  down. 

Sakhalin-Oula  abounded  in  vegetable  gardens,  which  sup- 
plied the  market  of  Blagoveshchensk.  The  number  of  shops 
both  there  and  at  Igoon  led  me  to  consider  the  Manjours  a 
population  of  shop-keepers.  Dr.  Snider  said  they  brought 
him  everything  for  ordinary  table  use,  and  would  contract  to 
furnish  at  less  than  the  regular  price,  any  article  sold  by  the 
Russian  merchants.  In  their  enterprise  and  mode  of  dealing 
they  were  much  like  the  Jews  of  Europe  and  America,  which 
may  account  for  their  being  called  Manjours.  Once  a  month 
during  the  full  moon  they  come  to  Blagoveshchensk  and  open 
a  fair,  which  continues  seven  days.  They  sell  flour,  buck- 
wheat, beans,  poultry,  eggs,  vegetables,  and  other  edible  ar- 
ticles. The  Russians  usually  purchase  a  month's  supply  at 
these  times,  but  when  they  wish  anything  out  of  the  fair  sea- 
son the  Manjours  are  ready  to  furnish  it. 

We  walked  along  a  narrow  street,  less  muddy  than  the 
streets  of  Igoon,  and  passed  several  cattle  yards  enclosed 
with  high  fences,  like  California  corrals.  In  one  yard  there 
were  cattle  and  horses,  so  densely  packed  that  they  could  not 
kick  freely.  Groups  of  natives  stared  at  us  while  smoking 
their  little  pipes,  and  doubtless  wondered  why  we  came  there. 
Several  eyed  me  closely  and  asked  my  companions  who  and 
what  I  could  be.  The  explanation  that  I  was  American  con- 
veyed no  information,  as  very  few  of  them  ever  heard  of  the 
land  of  the  free  and  the  former  home  of  the  slave. 

One  large  building  with  a  yard  in  front  and  an  inscription 
over  its  gate  was  pointed  out  as  a  government  office.  Several 
employees  of  the  Emperor  of  China  were  standing  at  the 
gateway,  all  smoking  and  enjoying  the  evening  air.  At  a 
hitching  post  outside  the  gate  there  were  three  saddled  horses 
of  a  breed  not  unlike  the  '  Canadian.'  The  saddles  would  be 
uncomfortable  to  an  American  cavalry  officer,  though  not  so 


AN   UNCOMFORTABLE  CARRIAGE. 


211 


to  a  Camanche  Indian.  According  to  my  recollection  of  our 
equestrian  savage  I  think  his  saddle  is  not  much  unlike  the 
Mongolians'. 

Beyond  this  establishment  we  entered  a  yard  in  front  of  a 
new  and  well-built  house.  Near  the  door  was  the  traveling 
carriage  of  the  governor  of  Igoon,  who  had  arrived  only  an 
hour  or  two  before.  The  carriage  was  a  two-wheeled  affair, 
not  long  enough  to  permit  one  to  lie  at  full  length  nor  high 
enough  to  sit  bolt  upright.  It  had  no  springs,  the  frame  rest- 
ing fairly  ^_ 
on  the  ax- 
les.  The  U 
top  was 
rounded 
like  that 
of  a  but- 
cher's cart 
and  the 
sides  were 
curtained 
with  blue 
cloth  that 
had  little 

windows  or  peep-holes.  I  looked  behind  the  curtain  and  saw 
that  the  sides  and  bottom  were  cushioned  to  diminish  the 
effect  of  jolting.  Two  or  three  small  pillows,  round  and  hard, 
evidently  served  to  fill  vacancies  and  wedge  the  occupant  in 
his  place. 

The  shafts  were  like  those  of  a  common  dray,  and  the 
driver's  position  was  on  a  sort  of  shelf  within  ten  inches  of 
the  horse's  tail.  There  was  room  for  a  postillion  on  the  shelf 
with  the  driver,  the  two  sitting  back  to  back  and  their  legs 
hanging  over  the  side.  The  wheel-tires  were  slightly  cogged 
as  if  made  for  use  in  a  machine,  and  altogether  the  vehicle 
did  not  impress  me  as  a  comfortable  one.  Being  without 
springs  it  gives  the  occupant  the  benefit  of  all  jolting,  and 
as  the  Chinese  roads  are  execrable,  I  imagine  one  might  feel 


MAXJOUR  TRAVELING  CARRIAGE. 


212  VISITING   A   MANJOUR  GOVERNOR. 

after  a  hundred  miles  in  such  a  conveyance  very  much  as  if 
emerging  from  an  encounter  with  a  champion  prize-fighter. 

Sometimes  the  Chinese  officials  set  the  wheels  of  their 
carts  very  far  aft  so  as  to  get  a  little  spring  from  the  long 
shafts.  Even  with  this  improvement  the  carriage  is  uncom- 
fortable, and  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Chinese  never  travel 
when  they  can  avoid  it. 

Entering  a  hall  that  led  to  a  larger  apartment,  we  reached 
the  presence  of  the  governor  of  Igoon.  He  was  seated  on  a 
mat  near  the  edge  of  a  wide  divan,  his  legs  crossed  like  a 
tailor's  at  his*  work.  He  was  in  a  suit  of  light-colored  silk, 
with  a  conical  hat  bearing  a  crystal  ball  on  the  top.  It  is 
generally  understood  that  the  grade  of  a  Chinese  official  may 
be  known  by  the  ball  he  wears  on  his  hat.  Thus  there  are 
red,  blue,  white,  yellow,  green,  crystal,  copper,  brass,  et  cetera, 
according  to  the  rank  of  the  wearer.  These  balls  take  the 
place  of  the  shoulder-strap  and  epaulettes  of  western  civiliza- 
tion, and  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  occupy  the  most  con- 
spicuous position  one  could  select.  As  I  am  not  versed  in 
details  of  the  orders  of  Chinese  rank  I  will  not  attempt  to 
give  the  military  and  civil  status  of  my  new  acquaintance.  I 
learned  that  he  was  a  general  in  the  army,  had  displayed  skill 
and  bravery  in  subduing  the  rebellion,  and  been  personally 
decorated  by  the  Emperor. 

He  was  enjoying  his  pipe  and  a  cup  of  tea,  resting  the  lat- 
ter on  a  little  table  at  his  side.  He  was  an  old  man, — of 
how  many  years  I  dare  not  try  to  guess, — with  a  thin  gray 
beard  on  his  short  chin,  and  a  face  that  might  have  been  worn 
by  the  Knight  of  the  Sorrowful  Countenance.  I  was  intro- 
duced as  an  American  who  had  come  to  see  China,  and  es- 
pecially the  portion  bordering  on  the  Amoor.  We  shook 
hands  and  I  was  motioned  to  a  seat  at  his  side  on  the  edge 
of  the  divan. 

Tea  and  cigars  opened  the  way  to  a  slow  fire  of  conversa- 
tion. I  spoke  in  French  with  Borasdine,  who  rendered  my 
words  in  Russian  to  the  governor's  interpreter.  The  princi- 
pal remarks  were  that  we  were  mutually  enchanted  to  see 


RUSSIAN-MONGOL  RECEPTION. 


213 


each  other,  and  that  I  was  delighted  at  my  visit  to  Igoon  and 
Sakhalin-Oula. 

Several  officials  entered  and  bowed  low  before  the  governor, 
shaking  their  clenched  hands  at  him  during  the  obeisance. 
One  wore  a  red  and  another  a  yellow  ball,  the  first  being  in 
a  black  uniform  and  the  second  in  a  white  one.  The  princi- 
pal feature  of  each  uniform  was  a  long  coat  reaching  below 
the  knees,  with  a  cape  like  the  capes  of  our  military  cloaks. 
Both  dresses  were  of  silk,  and  the  material  was  of  excellent 
quality. 

The  floor  of  the  room  was  of  clay,  beaten  smooth  and 
cleanly  swept.  The  furniture  consisted  of  the  divan  before 
mentioned,  with  two  or  three  rolls  of  bedding  upon  it,  a  Chi- 
nese table,  and  two  Chinese  and  three  Russian  chairs.  The 
walls  were  covered  with  various  devices  produced  from  the 
oriental  brain  ;  and  an  American  clock  and  a  French  mirror 
showed  how  the  Celestials  have  become  demoralized  by  com- 
merce with  outside  barbarians.  The  odor  from  the  kitchen 
filled  the  room,  and  as  we  thought  the  governor  might  be 
waiting  for  his  supper,  we  bade  him  good  evening  and  re- 
turned to  the  boat  and  the  Russian  shore. 

During  my  stay  at  Blagoveshchensk  I  was  invited  to  assist 
at  a  visit  made  by  the  governor  of  Igoon  to  Colonel  Pedesh- 
enk.  The  latter  sent  his  carriage  at  the  appointed  hour  to 
bring  the  Chinese  dignitary  and  his  chief  of  staff.  A  retinue 
of  ten  or  twelve  officers  followed  on  foot,  and  on  entering  the 
audience  hall  they  remained  standing  near  the  door.  The 
greetings  and  hand-shakings  were  in  the  European  style,  and 
after  they  were  ended  the  Chinese  governor  took  a  seat  and 
received  his  pipe  from  his  pipe-bearer.  He  wore  a  plain  dress 
of  grey  silk  and  a  doublet  or  cape  of  blue  with  embroidery 
along  the  front.  He  did  not  wear  his  decorations,  the  visit 
being  unofficial. 

In  addition  to  the  ball  on  his  hat  he  wore  a  plume  or  feather 
that  stood  in  a  horizontal  position.  His  chief  of  staff  was 
the  most  elaborately  dressed  man  of  the  party,  his  robes  be- 
ing more  gaily  decorated  than  the  governor's.    The  members 


214  QUARRELS   BETWEEN   RUSSIA  AND  CHINA. 

of  the  staff  wore  mandarin  balls  of  different  colors,  and  all 
had  feathers  in  their  hats.  The  governor's  hair  was  carefully 
done  up,  and  I  suspect  his  queue  was  lengthened  with  black 
silk. 

Conversation  was  carried  on  through  the  Colonel's  inter- 
preter, and  ran  upon  various  topics.  General  Bussy's  death 
was  mentioned  in  terms  of  regret,  and  then  followed  an  in- 
terchange of  compliments  between  the  frvvro  governors  who 
met  for  the  first  time.  After  this  the  Chinese  governor  spoke 
of  my  visit  to  Sakhalin-Oula,  and  said  I  was  the  first  Ameri- 
can he  ever  met  in  his  province. 

"  How  did  I  come  from  America,"  he  asked,  "  and  how  far 
had  I  traveled  to  reach  Blagoveshchensk  ?" 

The  interpreter  named  the  distance  and  said  I  came  to  the 
Amoor  in  a  ship  connected  with  the  telegraph  service. 

"  When  would  the  telegraph  be  finished  ?" 

He  was  told  that  within  two  or  three  years  they  would  pro- 
bably be  able  to  send  messages  direct  to  America. 

Then  he  asked  if  the  railway  would  not  soon  follow  the 
telegraph.  He  had  never  seen  either,  but  understood  per- 
fectly their  manner  of  working.  He  expressed  himself  pleas- 
ed at  the  progress  of  the  telegraph  enterprise,  but  did  not  in- 
timate that  China  desired  anything  of  the  kind.  The  inter- 
view lasted  about  an  hour,  and  ended  with  a  leave-taking 
after  the  European  manner. 

There  is  much  complaint  among  the  Russians  that  the 
treaty  of  1860  is  not  carried  out  by  the  Chinese.  It  is  stip- 
ulated that  trade  shall  be  free  along  the  entire  boundary  be- 
tween the  two  empires,  and  that  merchants  can  enter  cither 
country  at  will.  The  Chinese  merchants  are  not  free  to  leave 
their  own  territory  and  visit  Russia,  but  are  subject  to  various 
annoyances  at  the  hands  of  their  own  officials.  I  was  re- 
peatedly informed  at  Blagoveshchensk  that  the  restrictions 
upon  commerce  were  very  serious  and  in  direct  violation  of 
the  stipulations.    One  gentleman  told  me  : 

"  Every  Manjour  trader  that  brings  anything  here  pays  a 
tax  of  twenty  to  fifty  per  cent,  for  permission  to  cross  the 


CORRUPTIONS   OF   THE   POLICE.  215 

river.  We  pay  now  a  third  more  for  what  we  purchase  than 
when  we  first  settled  here.  The  merchants  complain  of  the 
restriction,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  manage  to  evade 
it.  Occasionally  a  Manjour  comes  to  me  offering  an  article 
twenty  or  thirty  per  cent,  below  his  usual  price,  explaining 
that  he  smuggled  it  and  requesting  me  not  to  expose  him." 

I  asked  if  the  taxation  was  made  by  the  Chinese  govern- 
ment, and  was  answered  in  the  negative. 

"  The  police  of  Igoon  and  Sakhalin-Oula  regulate  the  whole 
matter.  It  is  purely  a  black-mail  system,  and  the  merchant 
who  refuses  to  pay  will  be  thrown  into  prison  on  some  frivol- 
ous charge.  The  police  master  of  Igoon  has  a  small  salary, 
but  has  grown  very  wealthy  in  a  few  years.  The  Russian  and 
Chinese  governors  have  considered  the  affair  several  times, 
but  accomplish  nothing.  On  such  occasions  the  Chinese  gov- 
ernor summons  his  police-master  and  asks  him  if  there  is  any 
truth  in  the  charges  of  the  corruption  of  his  subordinates. 
Of  course  he  declares  everything  correct,  and  there  the  mat- 
ter ends." 

How  history  repeats  itself !  Compare  this  with  the  con- 
duct of  certain  Treasury  officials  along  the  Mississippi  during 
our  late  war.  The  cases  were  exactly  parallel.  The  govern- 
ment scandalized,  trade  restricted,  and  merchants  plundered, 
to  fill  the  pockets  of  rapacious  officers  !  I  began  to  think  the 
Mongol  more  like  the  Anglo-Saxon  than  ethnologists  believe, 
and  found  an  additional  argument  for  the  unity  of  the  human 
race. 

If  I  knew  the  Emperor  of  China  I  should  counsel  him  to 
open  his  oblique  eyes.  If  he  does  not  he  may  find  the  con- 
duct of  the  Igoon  police  a  serious  affair  for  his  dominions. 
Russia,  like  Oliver  Twist,  desires  more.  When  the  oppor- 
tunity comes  she  will  quietly  take  possession  of  Manjouria 
and  hold  both  banks  of  the  Amoor.  If  the  treaty  of  1860 
continues  to  be  violated  the  Governor  General  of  Eastern 
Siberia  will  have  an  excellent  excuse  for  taking  the  district 
of  Igoon  and  all  it  contains  under  his  powerful  protection. 

On  the  day  I  reached  Blagoveshchensk  I  saw  an  emigrant 


216 


AN   EASTWARD  STAR. 


camp  near  the  town.  The  emigrants  had  just  landed  from 
the  rafts  with  which  they  descended  the  Amoor.  They  came 
from  Astrachan,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Volga,  more  than  five 
thousand  miles  away,  and  had  been  two  years  on  their  trav- 
els. They  came  with  wagons  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Amoor,  and  there  built  rafts,  on  which  they  loaded  every- 
thing, including  wagons  and  teams,  and  floated  to  their  des- 
tination. I  did  not  find  their  wagons  as  convenient  as  our 
own,  though  doubtless  they  are  better  adapted  to  the  road. 

The  Russian  wagon  had  a  semi-circular  body,  as  if  a  long 
hogshead  were  divided  lengthwise  and  the  half  of  it  mounted 
on  wheels,  with  the  open  part  uppermost.  There  was  a  cov- 
ering of  coarse  cloth  over  a  light  framework,  lower  and  less 
wide  than  our  army  wagons.  Household  goods  fill  the  wag- 
ons, and  the  emigrants  walk  for  the  most  part  during  all  their 
land  journey. 

I  spent  a  few  minutes  at  the  camp  near  the  town,  and  found 
the  picture  much  like  what  I  saw  years  ago  beyond  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Men  were  busy  with  their  cattle  and  securing  them 
for  the  night ;  one  boy  was  bringing  water  from  the  river, 
and  another  gathering  fuel  for  the  fire  ;  a  young  woman  was 
preparing  supper,  and  an  older  one  endeavored,  under  shelter 
of  the  wagon-cover,  to  put  a  crying  child  to  sleep. 

Westward  our  star  of  empire  takes  its  way.  Russian  em- 
igration presses  eastward,  and  seeks  the  rising,  as  ours  the 
setting  sun. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


DURING-  my  stay  at  Blagoveshchensk  the  governor  in- 
vited rne  to  assist  at  a  gazelle  hunt. 
At  nine  o'clock  on  the  day  appointed  we  assembled  at  the 
house  of  the  chief  of  staff.  I  breakfasted  before  going  there, 
but  it  was  necessary  to  discuss  the  coming  hunt  over  a  second 
breakfast.  Six  or  eight  ladies  were  of  the  party,  and  the 
affair  had  the  general  appearance  of  a  picnic.  The  governor 
seated  me  in  his  carriage  at  the  side  of  Madame  Pedeshenk, 
and  we  led  the  company  to  the  field  of  expected  slaughter. 

With  four  horses  abreast, — two  attached  to  a  pole  and  two 
outside, — we  dashed  over  an  excellent  road  leading  back  from 
the  town.  There  were  three  other  carriages  and  two  or  three 
common  wagons,  in  which  the  occupants  rode  on  bundles  of 
hay.  There  was  a  little  vehicle  on  two  wheels, — a  sort  of 
light  gig  with  a  seat  for  only  one  person, — driven  by  a  lady. 
Five  or  six  officers  were  on  horseback,  and  we  had  a  detach- 
ment of  twenty  mounted  Cossacks  to  4  beat  the  bush.'  Ex- 
cluding the  Cossacks  and  drivers,  there  were  about  thirty 
persons  in  the  party.  A  mysterious  wagon  laden  with  boxes 
and  kegs  composed  the  baggage  train.  The  governor  ex- 
plained that  this  wagon  contained  the  ammunition  for  the 
hunters.  No  gazelle  could  have  looked  upon  those  kegs  and 
boxes  without  trembling  in  his  boots. 

A  range  of  low  hills  six  miles  from  town  was  the  spot  se- 
lected for  the  hunt.  There  were  nine  armed  men  to  be  sta- 
tioned across  this  range  within  shooting  distance  of  each 
other.  The  Cossacks  were  to  make  a  circuitous  route  and 
come  upon  the  hills  two  or  three  miles  away,  where,  forming 

(217) 


218 


HUNTING   THE  GAZELLE. 


a  long  line  and  making  much  noise,  they  would  advance  in 
our  direction.  Any  game  that  happened  in  the  way  would 
be  driven  to  us.  We  were  to  stand  our  ground  with  firmness 
and  shoot  any  gazelle  that  attacked  us.  I  determined  to  fight 
it  out  on  that  line. 

The  road  from  Blagoveshchensk  led  over  a  birch-covered 
plain  to  the  bank  of  the  Zeya,  four  miles  away.    We  passed 


Astrachanka,  in  honor  of  Astrachan  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Volga.  The  settlers  had  lived  there  three  or  four  years,  and 
were  succeeding  well  in  agriculture.  They  were  of  the  class 
known  as  German  Mennonites,  who  settled  on  the  steppes  of 
Southern  Russia  at  the  commencement  of  the  present  cen- 
tury. They  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  famed 
for  their  industry  and  their  care  in  managing  their  flocks  and 
fields.  The  governor  praised  them  warmly,  and  expressed 
the  kindest  hopes  for  their  prosperity. 

We  left  the  road  near  the  village  and  passed  through  a 
field  in  the  direction  of  the  hunting  ground.  Two  men  were 
at  work  with  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  plough,  whose  beam  rested 
on  the  axle  of  a  pair  of  wheels.  The  yoke  was  like  the  one 
in  use  everywhere  along  the  Amoor,  and  was  made  of  two 
pieces  of  thick  plank,  one  above  and  the  other  below  the 
animals'  necks,  with  wooden  pins  to  join  them  and  bear  the 
strain.  The  plough  was  quite  primitive  and  did  not  stir  the 
soil  like  an  American  or  English  plough. 


THE  AMMUNITION  WAGON. 


on  the  right  a 
small  mill, which 
was  to  be  replac- 
ed in  the  follow- 
ing  year  by  a 
steam  flouring 
establishment, 
the  first  on  the 
Amoor.  0  n 
reaching  the 
Zeya  I  found  a 
village  named 


CHANGING   BASE    FOR   A   LUNCH.  219 

At  the  hunting  ground  we  alighted  and  took  our  stations. 
The  governor  stood  under  a  small  oak,  and  the  ladies  rested 
on  the  grass  near  him.  I  went  to  the  next  post  up  the  hol- 
low, and  the  other  hunters  completed  the  line.  Dr.  Snider 
went  to  aid  me  in  taking 

"  a  dear  gazelle, 
To  glad  me  with  its  soft  black  eye." 

He  was  armed  with  a  cigar,  while  I  had  a  double-barreled 
gun,  loaded  at  (not  to)  the  muzzle. 

The  Cossacks  went  to  rouse  the  game,  but  their  first  drive 
resulted  in  nothing  beyond  a  prodigious  noise.  When  they 
started  for  the  second  drive  I  followed  the  doctor  in  a  tem- 
porary visit  to  the  ladies.  During  this  absence  from  duty  a 
large  gazelle  passed  within  ten.  steps  of  my  station.  I  ran 
toward  my  post,  but  was  not  as  nimble  as  the  frightened  deer. 

"  Tirez"  commanded  the  governor. 

"  Fire,"  shouted  the  doctor. 

And  I  obeyed  the  double  injunction.  The  distance  was 
great  and  the  animal  not  stationary.  I  fired,  and  the  gov- 
ernor fired,  but  the  only  effect  was  to  quicken  the  speed  of 
our  game.  I  never  knew  a  gazelle  to  run  faster.  Three 
weeks  later  I  saw  a  beast  greatly  resembling  him  running  on 
a  meadow  a  thousand  miles  from  Blagoveshchensk.  Whether 
it  was  the  same  or  another  I  will  not  attempt  to  say. 

A  few  minutes  after  this  failure  the  horn  of  the  hunter  was 
heard  on  the  hill,  and  two  gazelles  passed  the  line,  but  no 
game  was  secured.  The  governor  proposed  a  change  of  base, 
and  led  us  where  the  mysterious  wagon  had  halted.  The 
6  ammunition'  was  revealed.  There  were  carpets  and  cloths 
on  the  grass,  plates,  knives  and  forks,  edibles  in  variety,  wine, 
ale,  and  other  liquids,  and  the  samovar  steaming  merrily  at 
our  side.  I  think  we  acquitted  ourselves  better  at  this  part 
of  the  hunt  than  at  any  other.  The  picnic  did  not  differ 
much  from  an  American  one,  the  most  noticeable  feature  be- 
ing the  substantial  character  of  solids  and  liquids.    Most  of 


220 


RETURN   FROM   THE  HUNT. 


us  sat  on  the  grass  and  stumps,  the  number  of  camp-stools 
not  exceeding  half  a  dozen. 

Finishing  the  lunch  we  took  a  new  hunting  spot  and  man- 
aged to  kill  a  gazelle  and  a  large  hare.  A  fourth  drive 
brought  no  game,  and  we  returned  to  enjoy  another  lunch 
and  drink  a  Russian  beverage  called  '  jonca.'  In  its  prepara- 
tion a  pound  or  two  of  loaf  sugar  in  a  single  lump  is  fixed 
on  a  wire  frame  above  a  copper  pan.  A  bottle  of  cognac  is 
poured  over  the  sugar  and  set  on  fire.  The  sugar  melts,  and 
when  the  fire  is  almost  extinguished  a  bottle  of  claret  and 
one  of  champagne  are  added.  The  compound  is  taken  hot, 
and  has  a  sweet  and  very  smooth  taste.  The  Russians  are 
fond  of  producing  this  beverage  when  they  have  foreign 
guests,  and  if  taken  freely  it  has  a  weakening  tendency. 
The  captain  of  the  Yariag  told  me  he  had  placed  several 
British  officers  under  his  table  by  employing  this  article,  and 
there  was  a  rumor  that  the  Fox  embassy  to  St.  Petersburg 
was  quite  severely  laid  out  by  means  of  6  jonca.' 

The  lunch  finished  we  discharged  our  guns  and  returned 
to  town  at  a  rapid  pace.  While  descending  the  bank  of  a 
brook  our  horses  turned  suddenly  and  nearly  overset  the  car- 
riage. The  doctor  and  I  jumped  out  to  lighten  the  lower 
side,  and  were  just  in  season  to  keep  the  wheels  on  the 
ground.  Madame  Pedeshenk  followed  into  the  arms  of  the 
strong  doctor,  but  the  governor,  true  to  the  martial  instinct, 
remained  in  his  place  and  gave  instructions  to  the  driver. 
We  did  not  re-enter  the  carriage  until  it  was  across  the  brook ; 
the  horses  were  exercised  rather  violently  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  journey. 

I  think  the  gazelle  we  killed  was  identical  with  the  antelope 
of  our  western  plains.  He  had  a  skin  of  the  same  color  and 
a  white  tail,  that  retreating  flag-of-truce  so  familiar  to  our 
overland  emigrants.  His  feet,  head,  and  body  were  shaped 
like 'the  antelope's,  and  his  eye  had  that  liquid  tenderness  so 
often  observed  in  the  agile  rover  near  the  foot  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Gazelles  abound  through  the  Amoor  valley  to 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  the  sea-coast.    Many  are  killed 


DEPARTURE   UP   THE  RIVER. 


221 


every  autumn  and  winter  in  the  valley  of  the  Zeya  and  along 
the  middle  Amoor.  The  flesh  is  eaten  and  the  skin  used  for 
winter  coats  and  similar  articles. 

The  commerce  of  Blagoveshchensk  is  in  the  hands  of  half 
a  dozen  merchants,  one  French,  one  German,  and  the  rest 
Russian.  The  Amoor  company  before  its  affairs  were  ended 
kept  there  one  of  its  principal  stores,  which  was  bought,  with 
stock  and  good  will,  by  the  company's  clerk.  The  wants  of 
the  officers,  soldiers,  and  civilians  in  the  town  and  its  vicinity 
are  sufficient  to  create  a  good  local  trade.  Prices  are  high, 
nearly  double  those  of  Nicolayevsk,  and  the  stocks  of  goods 
on  hand  are  neither  large  nor  well  selected.  Officers  com- 
plained to  me  of  combinations  among  the  merchants  to  main- 
tain prices  at  an  exorbitant  scale. 

I  staid  four  days  at  Blagoveshchensk,  and  as  the  season 
was  growing  late  was  quite  anxious  to  depart.  The  days 
were  charming,  corresponding  to  our  Indian  Summer,  and 
the  nights  cool  and  frosty.  The  passenger  on  our  steamer 
from  Igoon  said  ice  would  be  running  in  the  river  in  twenty- 
live  days  unless  the  season  should  be  unusually  mild.  Rus- 
sians and  Chinese  were  preparing  for  cold  weather,  and  I 
wished  to  do  the  same  farther  westward.  Borasdine  con- 
templated a  land  journey  in  case  we  were  delayed  more  than 
five  days.  The  Korsackoff  was  the  only  steamer  to  ascend 
the  river,  and  she  was  waiting  for  the  Constantine  to  bring 
her  a  barge.  On  the  evening  of  the  5th  October  the  governor 
informed  me  the  Korsackoff  would  start  on  the  next  day, 
barge  or  no  barge.  This  was  cheering,  and  I  celebrated  the 
occasion  by  boiling  myself  in  a  Russian  bath. 

I  look  upon  the  bath  as  one  of  the  blessings  of  Russia. 
At  the  end  of  a  journey,  when  one  is  sore  and  stiff  in  the 
joints,  it  is  an  effectual  medicine.  After  it  the  patient  sleeps 
soundly,  and  rises  in  the  morning  thoroughly  invigorated. 
Too  much  bathing  deadens  the  complexion  and  enfeebles  the 
body,  but  a  judicious  amount  is  beneficial.  It  is  the  Russian 
custom,  not  always  observed,  to  bathe  once  a  week.  The  in- 
jury from  the  bath  is  in  consequence  of  too  high  temperature 


222 


TAKING   A   RUSSIAN  BATH. 


of  steam  and  water,  causing  a  severe  shock  to  the  system. 
Taken  properly  the  bath  has  no  bad  effects,  and  will  cure 
rheumatism,  some  forms  of  neuralgia,  and  several  other 
acute  diseases. 

The  bath-house  is  a  building  of  two,  and  generally  three, 
rooms.  In  the  outer  room  you  undress,  and  your  chelavek, 
or  servant,  does  the  same.  If  there  is  but  another  room  you 
are  led  directly  into  it,  and  find  a  hot  fire  in  a  large  stove. 
There  is  a  cauldron  of  hot  water  and  a  barrel  of  cold  water 
close  at  hand.  The  tools  of  the  operator  are  a  bucket,  two 
or  three  basins,  a  bar  of  soap,  a  switch  of  birch  boughs,  and 
a  bunch  of  matting.  If  there  are  three  apartments  the  sec- 
ond is  only  an  ante-room,  not  very  warm  and  calculated  to 
prepare  you  for  the  last  and  hottest  of  all. 

The  chelavek  begins  by  throwing  a  bucket  of  warm  water 
over  you.  He  follows  this  with  another,  and  then  a  third, 
fourth,  and  fifth,  each  a  little  warmer  than  its  predecessor. 
On  one  side  of  the  room  is  a  series  of  benches  like  a  terrace 
or  flight  of  large  steps.  You  are  placed  horizontally  on  a 
bench,  and  with  warm  water,  soap,  and  bunch  of  matting  the 
servant  scrubs  you  from  head  to  foot  with  a  manipulation 
more  thorough  than  gentle.  The  temperature  of  the  room 
is  usually  about  110°  Fahrenheit,  but  it  may  be  more  or  less. 
It  induces  vigorous  perspiration,  and  sets  the  blood  glowing 
and  tingling,  but  it  never  melts  the  flesh  nor  breaks  the 
smallest  blood  vessel.  The  finishing  touch  is  to  ascend  the 
platform  near  the  ceiling  and  allow  the  servant  to  throw 
water  upon  hot  stones  from  the  furnace.  There  is  always 
a  cloud  of  steam  filling  the  room  and  making  objects  indis- 
tinct. You  easily  become  accustomed  to  the  ordinary  heat, 
but  when  water  is  dropped  upon  the  stones  there  is  a  rush  of 
blistering  steam.  It  catches  you  on  the  platform  and  you 
think  how  unfortunate  is  a  lobster  when  he  goes  to  pot  and 
exchanges  his  green  for  scarlet. 

I  declined  this  coup  de  grace  after  a  single  experience.  To 
my  view  it  is  the  objectionable  feature  of  the  Russian  bath. 
I  was  always  content  after  that  to  retire  before  the  last  course, 


ARRIVAL    OF   THE  CONSTANTINE. 


223 


and  only  went  about  half  way  up  the  terrace.  The  birchen 
switch  is  to  whip  the  patient  during  the  washing  process,  but 
is  not  applied  with  unpleasant  force.  To  finish  the  bath  you 
are  drenched  with  several  buckets  of  water  descending  from 
hot  to  cold,  but  not,  as  some  declare,  terminating  with  ice 
water.  This  little  fiction  is  to  amuse  the  credulous,  and 
would  be  '  important  if  true.'    Men  have  sometimes  rushed 

from  the  bath  into  a 
snow  bank,  but  the 
occurrence  is  unus- 
ual. Sometimes  the 
peasants  leave  the 
bath  for  a  swim  in 
the  river,  but  they 
only  do  so  in  mild 
weather.  In  all  the  cities  there  are 
public  bath  rooms,  where  men  are 
steamed,  polished,  and  washed  in 
large  numbers.  In  bathing  the  Rus- 
sians are  more  gregarious  than  Eng- 
lish or  Americans.  A  Russian  would 
think  no  more  of  bathing  with  several  others  than  of  dining 
at  a  hotel  table.  Nearly  every  private  house  has  its  bath 
room,  and  its  frequent  use  can  hardly  fail  to  be  noticed  by 
travelers. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  Constantine  arrived,  having 
left  the  Korsackoff 's  barge  hard  aground  below  Igoon.  So 
we  were  to  start  unencumbered.  I  took  my  baggage  to  the 
Korsackoff,  and  was  obliged  to  traverse  two  barges  before  I 
reached  the  boat.  Twelve  o'clock  was  the  hour  appointed 
for  our  departure,  and  at  eleven  the  fires  were  burning  in  the 
furnaces.  A  hundred  men  were  transferring  freight  from  the 
Constantine  to  the  Korsackoff,  and  made  a  busy  scene.  Four 
men  carrying  a  box  of  muskets  ran  against  me  on  a  narrow 
plank,  and  had  not  my  good  friend  the  doctor  seized  me  I 
should  have  plunged  headlong  into  the  river.    The  hey-day 


FINISHING  TOUCH. 


224 


GRAPES   AND  GOOD-BYE. 


in  my  blood  was  tame  ;  I  had  no  desire  to  fall  into  V Amour 
at  that  season. 

At  eleven  there  came  an  invitation  to  lunch  with  the  gov- 
ernor at  two.  "  How  is  this  ? "  I  said  to  the  doctor ;  "  start 
at  twelve  and  lunch  here  two  hours  later ! "  Smiling  the 
doctor  replied : 

"  I  see  you  have  not  yet  learned  our  customs.  The  gov- 
ernor is  the  autocrat,  and  though  the  captain  positively  de- 
clares he  will  start  at  noon  you  need  not  be  uneasy.  He  will 
not  go  till  you  are  on  board,  and  very  likely  you  will  meet 
him  at  lunch." 

At  two  o'clock  I  was  at  the  governor's,  where  I  found  the 
anxious  captain.  When  our  lunch  was  finished  Madame  Pe- 
deshenk  gave  me  some  wild  grapes  of  native  production. 
They  were  about  the  size  of  peas,  and  quite  acid  in  taste. 
With  cultivation  they  might  be  larger  and  better  flavored, 
just  as  many  of  our  American  grapes  have  improved  in  the 
past  twenty  3rears.  Some  of  the  hardier  grapes  might  be 
successfully  grown  on  the  middle  Amoor,  but  the  cold  is  too 
long  and  severe  for  tender  vines.  Attached  to  his  dwelling 
the  governor  has  a  hot-house  that  forms  a  pleasant  retreat  in 
winter.  He  hopes  to  introduce  vines  and  raise  hot-house 
grapes  in  Siberia  within  a  few  years. 

I  walked  to  the  boat  with  Doctor  and  Madame  Snider,  our 
promenade  being  enlivened  by  a  runaway  horse  that  came 
near  dragging  a  cart  over  us.  The  governor  and  his  lady 
were  there,  with  nearly  all  the  officers,  and  after  saying  adieu 
I  stepped  on  board,  and  we  left  the  pier.  We  waved  kerchiefs 
again  and  again  as  long  as  waves  could  be  seen. 

There  was  a  cabin  on  the  Korsackoff  about  eight  feet  square, 
with  four  small  rooms  opening  out  of  it.  Borasdine  and  I 
had  two  of  these.  My  apartment  had  two  bunks  and  no  bed- 
ding, but  the  deficiency  was  atoned  for  by  a  large  number  of 
hungry  and  industrious  fleas.  Of  my  blankets  and  pillow  I 
made  my  own  bed,  and  slept  in  it  as  on  the  Ingodah.  My 
only  chair  was  a  camp  stool  I  carried  from  San  Francisco 


AN    INTOXICATED  PRIEST. 


225 


with  the  design  of  giving  it  away  on  reaching  the  end  of  my 
water  travel. 

Going  on  board  the  steamer  I  met  a  drunken  priest  en- 
deavoring to  walk  to  the  pier,  and  in  the  cabin  I  found  an- 
other lying  on  a  sofa,  and,  as  I  supposed,  very  ill.  Borasdine 
observed  my  look  of  compassion,  and  indicated  by  signs  the 
cause  of  the  malady.  The  priest  going  ashore  had  been  say- 
ing farewell  to  the  one  on  board,  and  their  partings  were 
such  as  press  the  life  from  out  young  hearts  and  bottles. 
Our  holy  passenger  did  not  feel  himself  again  until  the  next 
day. 

There  are  many  good  men  among  the  priests  of  the  East- 
ern church  in  Siberia,  but  it  must  also  be  admitted  there  are. 
many  bad  ones.  In  a  country  where  the  clergy  wields  as 
great  power  as  in  Russia  the  authorities  should  take  care  that 
the  representatives  of  the  church  set  a  good  example.  The 
intemperance  so  prevalent  among  the  peasantry  is  partly  due 
to  the  debaucheries  of  the  priesthood.  Where  the  people 
follow  their  religious  leaders  with  blind  faith  and  obey  their 
commands  in  all  the  forms  of  worship,  are  they  not  in  danger 
of  following  the  example  of  drunkenness  ?  Russian  officers 
frequently  spoke  of  the  condition  of  the  church  in  Eastern 
Siberia,  and  declared  with  emphasis  that  it  needed  reforma- 
tion. "  Our  priests/'  said  one,  "  have  carried  our  religion 
wherever  our  armies  have  carried  conquest,  and  their  efforts 
to  advance  Christianity  deserve  all  praise.  But  abuses  exist 
and  have  grown  up,  and  the  whole  system  needs  to  be  ar- 
ranged anew." 

We  had  much  freight  on  board,  consisting  chiefly  of  mus- 
kets for  the  province  of  the  Trans-Baikal.  There  were  many 
passengers  that  lived  literally  on  deck.  They  were  aft  of  the 
engines  and  above  our  cabin.  On  deck  we  had  the  forward 
part  of  the  boat  as  on  the  Ingodah.  The  deck  passengers 
were  soldiers,  and  Cossacks  in  their  long  grey  coats,  and 
peasants  of  all  ages  in  garments  of  sheepskin.  There  were 
women  with  infants,  and  women  without  infants,  the  former 
being  the  more  numerous.  They  were  on  deck  day  and  night, 
15 


226 


SHORT   OF  FUEL. 


unless  when  opportunity  offered  to  go  on  shore.  They  did 
their  cooking  at  the  galley  or  at  a  stove  near  the  stern  of  the 
boat.  They  never  made  any  noise  or  disturbance,  beyond 
the  usual  confusion  where  many  persons  are  confined  in  a 
small  space. 

There  were  three  horses  tied  just  over  my  cabin  with  only 
a  single  plank  between  their  heels  and  my  head.  Nearly 
every  night  their  horse  polkas  and  galops  disturbed  my  sleep. 
Sometimes  early  in  the  morning,  when  the  frost  was  biting, 
they  would  have  kicking  matches  of  twenty  or  thirty  minutes, 
conducted  with  the  greatest  vigor.  The  temporary  stable 
was  close  to  the  cabin  skylight,  so  that  we  had  the  odors  of 
a  barn-yard  without  extra  charge.  This  would  have  been 
objectionable  under  other  circumstances,  but  the  cabin  was 
so  dirty  that  one  could  not  be  fastidious  about  trifles. 

The  captain  had  a  neat  cabin  of  his  own  on  the  upper  deck, 
and  did  not  trouble  himself  much  about  the  quarters  of  his 
passengers,  as  the  regulations  do  not  require  him  to  look  after 
their  welfare.  He  was  a  careful  commander  and  prompt  in 
discharging  his  duties.  By  law  steamboat  captains  cannot 
carry  their  wives  on  board.  This  officer  had  a  little  arrange- 
ment by  which  he  was  able  to  keep  the  word  of  promise  to 
the  ear  and  break  it  to  the  hope. 

We  were  short  of  fuel  at  starting,  and  barely  escaped  trou- 
ble in  consequence.  The  first  pile  visible  contained  only  a 
cord  or  two  ;  we  took  this  and  several  posts  that  had  been  fixed 
in  the  ground  to  mark  the  locality.  When  this  supply  was 
burned  we  cut  up  our  landing  planks  and  all  the  spare  bits 
of  wood  we  could  find.  A  court  of  inquiry  was  held  over 
the  horse-troughs,  but  they  were  considered  too  much  water- 
soaked  for  our  purpose.  As  a  last  resort  I  had  a  pound  of 
candles  and  a  flask  of  brandy,  but  we  happily  reached  a  wood- 
station  without  using  my  light  baggage. 

The  Korsackoff  was  an  iron  boat  of  a  hundred  horse  power, 
with  hull  and  engines  of  English  make.  Her  cabins  were 
very  small  and  as  dirty  as  diminutive.  There  was  no  cabin 
steward,  and  I  sincerely  believe  there  had  never  been  one. 


A   FRAGMENT   OF   SCENERY.  227 

We  were  warned  of  this  before  leaving  Blagoveshchensk,  and 
by  way  of  precaution  purchased  enough  bread,  pickles,  cheese, 
mustard,  preserves,  candles,  etc.,  to  stock  a  modest  grocery. 
We  bought  eggs  at  the  landings,  and  arranged  for  the  samo- 
var every  morning.  We  engaged  a  Cossack  passenger  as 
our  servant  for  the  voyage,  and  when  we  wished  our  eggs 
boiled  we  sent  him  with  them  to  the  cook.  Of  course  we  had 
an  arrangement  with  the  latter  functionary.  Our  next  move 
was  to  make  terms  with  the  captain's  steward  for  a  dinner 
at  the  hour  when  he  fed  his  chief.  Our  negotiations  required 
much  diplomacy,  but  our  existence  depended  upon  it,  and 
what  will  not  man  accomplish  when  he  wants  bread  and 
meat  ? 

We  spread  our  table  in  one  of  our  rooms.  For  breakfast 
we  took  tea  and  boiled  eggs,  and  for  dinner  we  had  cabbage 
soup,  roast  beef  or  fowl,  and  cutlets.  The  cook  succeeded 
very  well,  and  as  our  appetites  were  pretty  sharp  we  voted 
the  dinners  a  success.  We  used  our  own  bread,  tea,  pickles, 
and  preserves,  employing  the  latter  as  a  concluding  dish. 
Our  Cossack  was  not  very  skillful  at  housework,  and  made 
many  blunders  in  serving.  Frequently  he  brought  the  soup 
tureen  before  arranging  the  table,  and  it  took  him  some  time 
to  learn  the  disadvantage  of  this  practice. 

Leaving  Blagoveshchensk  the  country  continued  level  near 
the  river,  but  the  mountains  gradually  approached  it  and  on 
the  south  bank  they  came  to  the  water  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
above  Sakhalin-Oula.  On  the  north  the  plain  was  wider,  but 
it  terminated  about  forty  miles  above  Blagoveshchensk, — a 
series  of  low  hills  taking  its  place.  The  first  day  we  ran 
twenty-five  or  thirty  versts  before  sunset.  The  river  was  less 
than  a  mile  wide,  and  the  volume  of  water  sensibly  dimin- 
ished above  the  Zeya.  As  the  hills  approached  the  river  they 
assumed  the  form  of  bluffs  or  headlands,  with  plateaus  ex- 
tending back  from  their  summits.  The  scenery  reminded  me 
of  Lake  Pepin  and  the  region  just  above  it.  On  the  north- 
ern shore,  between  these  bluffs  and  the  river,  there  was  an 
occasional  strip  of  meadow  that  afforded  clinging  room  to  a 


228 


THE    DOVE   A    SACRED  BIRD. 


Russian  village.  At  two  or  three  settlements  there  was  an 
abundance  of  hay  and  grain  in  stacks,  and  droves  of  well 
fed  cattle,  that  indicated  the  favorable  character  of  the 
country. 

At  most  villages  along  the  Amoor  I  found  the  crow  and 
magpie  abundant  and  very  tame.  At  Blagoveshchensk  sev- 
eral of  these  birds  amused  me  in  sharing  the  dinner  of  some 
hogs  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  latter.  AVhen  the  meal  was 
finished  they  lighted  on  the  backs  of  the  hogs  and  would  not 
dismount  until  the  latter  rolled  in  the  dirt.  No  one  appears 
to  think  them  worth  shooting,  and  I  presume  they  do  no 
damage. 

One  day  walking  on  shore  I  saw  a  flock  of  pigeons,  and  re- 
turned to  the  boat  for  Borasdine's  gun.  As  I  took  it  I  re- 
marked that  I  would  shoot  a  few  pigeons  for  dinner. 

"  Never  think  of  it,"  said  my  friend. 

"  And  why?" 

"  Because  you  will  make  the  peasants  your  enemies.  The 
news  would  spread  that  you  had  killed  a  pigeon,  and  every 
peasant  would  dislike  you." 

"  For  what  reason  ? " 

"  The  pigeon  or  dove  is  held  sacred  throughout  Russia. 
He  is  the  living  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  faith  of  the 
Eastern  church,  and  he  brought  the  olive  branch  to  The  Ark 
when  the  flood  had  ceased.  No  Russian  would  harm  one  of 
these  birds,  and  for  you  to  do  so  would  show  disrespect  to  the 
religion  of  the  country." 

I  went  on  shore  again,  but  without  a  gun. 

Every  day  we  saw  rafts  moving  with  the  stream  or  tied 
along  the  shore.  They  were  of  logs  cut  on  the  upper  Amoor, 
and  firmly  fastened  with  poles  and  withes.  An  emigrant  piles 
his  wagon  and  household  goods  on  a  raft,  and  makes  a  pen 
at  one  side  to  hold  his  cattle.  Two  or  three  families,  with  as 
many  wagons  and  a  dozen  or  twenty  animals,  were  frequently 
on  one  raft.  A  pile  of  earth  was  the  fire  place,  and  there 
was  generally  a  tent  or  shelter  of  some  kind.    Cattle  were 


RAFTS   ON   THE    A  MOOR. 


229 


EMIGRANTS  ON  THE  AMOOR. 


fed  with  hay  carried  on  board,  or  were  turned  ashore  at  night 
to  graze. 

Some  rafts  were  entirely  laden  with  cattle  on  their  way  to 
market  or  for  government  use  at  Nicolayevsk.  This  is  the 
most  eco- 
nomical 
mode  of 
transpor- 
tation, as 
the  cattle 
feed  them- 
selves o  n 
shore  at 
night,  and 
the  rafts 
float  with 
the  cur- 
rent by 

day.  A  great  deal  of  heavy  freight  has  been  carried  down 
the  Amoor  in  this  way,  and  losses  are  of  rare  occurrence. 
The  system  is  quite  analogous  to  the  flat-boat  navigation  of 
the  Mississippi  before  steamboats  were  established.  We  met 
a  few  Russian  boats  floating  or  propelled  by  oars,  one  of  them 
having  a  crew  of  six  Cossacks  and  making  all  haste  in  de- 
scending. We  supposed  it  contained  the  mail  due  at  Blago- 
veshchensk when  we  left.  The  government  has  not  enough 
steamers  to  perform  its  service  regularly,  and  frequently  uses 
row  boats.  The  last  mail  at  Blagoveshchensk  before  my  ar- 
rival came  in  a  rowboat  in  fifteen  days  from  Stratensk. 

Ascending  the  river  we  made  slow  progress  even  without  a 
barge.  Our  machinery  was  out  of  order  and  we  only  carried 
half  steam.  We  ran  only  by  day,  and  unfortunately  the 
nights  had  a  majority  of  the  time.  We  frequently  took  wood 
in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  on  such  occasions  lost  from 
one  to  three  hours.  Our  average  progress  was  about  sixty 
miles  a  day.  I  could  not  help  contrasting  this  with  journeys 
I  have  made  on  the  Mississippi  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred 


230 


A   CHINESE   FRONTIER  POST. 


miles  in  twenty-four  hours.  A  government  boat  has  no  oc- 
casion to  hurry  like  a  private  one,  and  the  pilot's  imperfect 
knowledge  of  the  Amoor  operates  against  rapidity.  In  time 
I  presume  the  Siberian  boats  will  increase  their  speed. 

The  second  day  from  Blagoveshchensk  we  were  where  the 
Amoor  flows  twenty-five  versts  around  a  peninsula  only  one 
verst  wide.  Just  above  this,  at  the  village  of  Korsackoff,  was 
the  foot  of  another  bend  of  twenty-eight  versts  with  a  width 
of  three.  Borasdine  and  I  proposed  walking  and  hunting 
across  the  last  neck  of  land,  but  the  lateness  of  the  hour  for- 
bade the  excursion,  as  we  did  not  wish  to  pass  the  night  on 
shore,  and  it  was  doubtful  if  the  boat  could  double  the  point 
before  dark.  We  should  have  crossed  the  first  peninsula  had 
it  not  been  in  Chinese  territory.  To  prevent  possible  intru- 
sion the  Celestials  have  a  guard-house  at  the  bend. 

At  the  guard-house  we  could  see  half  a  dozen  soldiers  with 
matchlocks  and  lances.  There  was  a  low  house  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  square  and  daubed  with  mud  according  to  the 
Chinese  custom.  There  was  a  quantity  of  rubbish  on  the 
ground,  and  a  couple  of  horses  were  standing  ready  saddled 
near  it.  Fifty  feet  from  the  house  was  a  building  like  a  sen- 
try-box, with  two  flag-staffs  before  it ;  it  was  the  temple  where 
the  soldiers  worshipped  according  to  the  ceremonies  of  their 
faith.  I  have  been  much  with  the  army  in  my  own  country, 
but  never  saw  a  military  post  of  two  buildings  where  one 
structure  was  a  chapel. 

Above  the  village  of  Kazakavitch,  at  the  upper  extremity 
of  the  bend,  there  was  some  picturesque  scenery.  On  one 
side  there  were  precipitous  cliffs  two  or  three  hundred  feet 
high,  and  on  the  other  a  meadow  or  plateau  with  hills  in  the 
background.  The  villages  on  this  part  of  the  river  are  gen- 
erally built  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  high  water  mark. 
They  have  the  same  military  precision  that  is  observed  below 
the  Zeya,  and  each  has  a  bath  house  set  in  the  bank.  Fre- 
quently we  found  these  bath  houses  in  operation,  and  on  one 
occasion  two  boys  came  out  clad  in  the  elegant  costume  of 
the  Greek  Slave,  without  her  fetters.    They  gazed  at  the  boat 


SCARCITY   OF   WATER   FOR   DRINKING.  231 

with  perfect  sang  froid,  the  thermometer  being  just  above 
freezing  point.  The  scene  reminded  me  of  the  careless  man- 
ners of  the  natives  at  Panama. 

Opposite  Komarskoi  the  cliffs  on  the  Chinese  shore  are 
perpendicular,  and  continue  so  for  several  miles.  At  their 
base  there  is  a  strong  current,  where  we  met  a  raft  descend- 
ing nearly  five  miles  an  hour.  In  going  against  the  stream 
our  pilots  did  not  seek  the  edge  of  the  river  like  their  breth- 
ren of  the  Mississippi,  but  faced  the  current  in  the  center. 
Possibly  they  thought  a  middle  course  the  safest,  and  remem- 
bered the  fate  of  the  celebrated  youth  who  took  a  short  route 
when  he  drove  the  sun. 

Two  miles  above  the  settlement  is  Cape  Komara,  a  perpen- 
dicular or  slightly  overhanging  rock  of  dark  granite  three 
hundred  feet  high.  Nothing  but  a  worm  or  an  insect  could 
climb  its  face,  and  a  fall  from  its  top  into  the  river  would  not 
be  desirable.  The  Russians  have  erected  a  large  cross  upon 
the  summit,  visible  for  some  distance  up  and  down  the  river. 
Above  this  rock,  which  appears  like  a  sentinel,  the  valley  is 
wider  and  the  stream  flows  among  many  islands. 

We  saw  just  below  this  rock  a  Manjour  boat  tied  to  the 
shore,  the  crew  breakfasting  near  a  fire  and  the  captain  smok- 
ing in  apparent  unconcern  at  a  little  distance.  On  the  oppo- 
site bank  there  was  a  Chinese  custom-house  and  military  sta- 
tion. It  had  the  same  kind  of  house  and  temple  and  the 
same  number  of  men  and  horses  as  the  post  farther  down. 
Had  it  possessed  a  pile  of  rubbish  and  a  barking  dog  the 
similarity  would  have  been  complete. 

There  is  abundance  of  water  in  the  Amoor  except  for  drink- 
ing purposes.  I  was  obliged  to  adopt  the  plan  of  towing  a 
bottle  out  of  the  cabin  window  till  it  filled.  The  deck  pas- 
sengers used  to  look  with  wonder  on  my  foreign  invention, 
and  doubtless  supposed  I  was  experimenting  for  scientific 
purposes.  I  have  heard  of  a  captain  on  the  Ohio  who  forbade 
water  to  his  passengers  on  account  of  the  low  stage  of  the 
river.  Possibly  the  Russian  captains  are  fearful  that  too 
much  use  of  water  may  affect  navigation  in  future  years. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THERE  is  a  sameness  and  yet  a  variety  in  the  scenery  of 
the  Amoor  two  or  three  hundred  miles  above  Komar- 
skoi.  The  sameness  is  in  the  general  outlines  which  can  be 
described ;  the  variety  is  in  the  many  little  details  of  dis- 
tance, shadow,  and  coloring,  which  no  pen  can  picture.  In 
the  general  features  there  are  cliffs,  hills,  ravines,  islands, 
and  occasional  meadows,  with  forests-  of  birch,  pine,  larch, 
and  willow.  The  meadows  are  not  abundant,  and  the  attrac- 
tions to  settlers  generally  small.  The  hills  are  rugged  and, 
though  well  timbered,  not  adapted  to  agriculture.  The  pine 
forests  are  dark  and  gloomy,  and  the  leafless  birches  make 
the  distant  hills  appear  as  if  thinly  snow-clad.  The  willows 
are  generally  upon  the  islands,  and  grow  with  great  luxuri- 
ance.   The  large  meadows  are  occupied  by  Russian  settlers. 

Many  little  streams  enter  the  Amoor  on  both  sides,  but 
chiefly  from  the  north.  There  is  a  famous  cliff  called  Sa-ga- 
yan,  where  the  river  has  washed  and  undermined  the  high 
bank  so  that  portions  fall  away  every  few  years.  The  cur- 
rent strikes  this  hill  with  great  force,  and  where  it  is  reflected 
the  water  is  broken  like  the  rapids  above  Niagara.  It  is  a 
dangerous  spot  for  small  boats,  and  very  difficult  for  them  to 
ascend.  When  the  expedition  of  1854  descended  the  Amoor 
several  barges  were  drawn  into  an  eddy  at  this  cliff  and 
nearly  swamped.  Captain  Fulyelm  and  Mr.  Collins,  in  1857, 
were  in  danger  and  trouble,  especially  where  the  current  re- 
bounds from  the  shore. 

When  our  steamer  struck  this  rapid  it  required  all  the 
strength  of  our  engines  to  carry  us  through.    I  desired  to 

(232) 


THE   SA-GA-YAN  CLIFF. 


233 


examine  the  shore,  but  had  no  opportunity.  Mr.  Collins 
found  the  bank  composed  of  amygdaloid  sand,  decomposed 
rock  and  sandstone,  with  many  traces  of  iron.  On  the  beach 
were  chalcedony,  cornelian,  and  agate.  Two  veins  of  coal 
have  been  traced  in  the  cliff,  and  it  is  thought  a  large  deposit 


SA-GA-YAN  CLIFF. 


exists  there.  The  natives  have  a  story  that  the  cliff  smokes 
whenever  a  human  being  approaches  it,  but  I  saw  no  indica- 
tions of  smoke  as  I  passed.  They  consider  it  the  abode  of 
evil  spirits,  and  hold  it  in  great  dread. 

The  Russians  told  me  that  a  few  wreaths  of  smoke  were 
visible  in  summer,  caused  probably  by  the  decomposition  of 
several  coal  seams  on  the  upper  side  of  the  mountain. 

Up  to  the  present  time  no  coal  has  been  mined  along  the 
Amoor,  though  enough  is  known  to  exist.  The  cheapness 
and  abundance  of  wood  will  render  coal  of  little  importance 
for  many  years  to  come.  Nicolayevsk  is  supplied  with  coal 
from  Sakhalin  Island,  where  it  is  abundant  and  easily  worked. 
Iron  ore  has  been  discovered  on  the  upper  Amoor  and  in  the 
Buryea  Mountains.  Captain  Anossoff  proposes  to  erect  a 
smelting  establishment  at  Blagoveshchensk,  supplying  it  with 


234         PUBLIC   AND   PRIVATE  ENTERPRISE. 

iron  ore  from  the  Buryea  region  and  with  coal  from  the  Zeya. 
Copper  and  silver  exist  in  several  localities,  but  the  veins 
have  not  been  thoroughly  examined.  The  mountains  are  like 
those  in  the  Nerchinsk  district  that  have  yielded  so  richly  in 
precious  metals. 

Captain  Anossoff  is  the  brother  of  my  companion  across 
the  Pacific,  and  has  seen  ten  years  service  in  Eastern  Siberia. 
Most  of  that  time  he  has  passed  on 'the  Amoor  and  its  tribu- 
tary streams.  In  many  places  he  found  rich  deposits  of  gold, 
the  last  and  best  being  on  the  Oldoi  river,  about  a  hundred 
miles  north  of  Albazin.  A  ton  of  earth  yielded  six  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  gold.  I  saw  the  specimens  which  the  cap- 
tain took  out  in  person.  The  gold  was  like  the  best  gulch  or 
scale  gold  in  California,  with  nuggets  up  to  four  or  five  ounces 
in  weight. 

Gold  has  been  found  in  other  localities.  On  several  tribu- 
taries of  the  Ousuree  the  Chinese  have  conducted  washings 
for  many  years.  The  Russian  settlers  near  Posyet  find  gold 
in  the  streams  flowing  into  the  sea.  An  engineer  officer  as- 
sured me  the  washings  in  that  region  could  be  made  profit- 
able. 

The  government  has  recently  opened  the  Amoor  and  its 
tributaries  to  private  enterprise  and  invited  its  citizens  to 
search  for  gold  where  they  please.  This  is  a  concession  in 
the  right  way,  and  partially  abandons  the  claim  hitherto  en- 
forced that  all  mines  belong  to  the  Imperial  family.  Some 
of  the  surveys  of  Captain  Anossoff  have  been  for  private  par- 
ties at  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  development  of  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  Amoor  is  confidently  expected  in  a  few  years. 
At  present  the  lack  of  laborers  and  machinery  is  a  great 
drawback,  but  as  the  country  grows  older  the  mining  facilities 
will  increase.  It  is  not  impossible  that  a  gold  fever  will 
sometime  arise  on  the  Amoor  and  extend  to  America. 

Much  of  the  country  I  saw  along  the  Amoor  resembles  the 
gold-bearing  regions  on  the  Pacific  coast.  While  we  were 
taking  wood  at  a  village  above  Sa-ga-yan  I  walked  on  shore 
and  stopped  at  a  little  brook  flowing  from  the  hills.  Care- 


INTERVIEW   WITH    A   MANAGRE.  235 

lessly  digging  with  a  stick  in  the  bottom  of  this  brook  I 
brought  up  some  black  sand,  which  I  washed  on  a  piece  of 
bark.  The  washing  left  two  or  three  shining  particles  that 
had  every  appearance  of  gold.  I  wrapped  them  in  a  leaf  to 
carry  on  board  the  steamer,  but  as  I  afterward  lost  envelope 
and  contents,  the  value  of  my  discovery  is  to  this  day  un- 
known. 

The  original  inhabitants  along  this  part  of  the  Amoor  are 
wandering  Tungusians,  in  no  great  number  and  with  little 
wealth.  We  saw  their  huts  on  both  banks,  principally  the 
southern  one.  At  a  Russian  village  where  we  stopped  there 
was  a  Managre  hut  or  yourt  of  light  poles  covered  with  birch 
bark.  The  covering  was  wound  around  the  framework  in 
horizontal  strips  that  overlapped  at  the  edges  like  shingles  on 
a  house-roof.  Entering  the  hut  I  found  a  varied  assortment 
of  deer  skins,  cooking  and  other  utensils,  dogs,  dirt,  and 
children.  I  gave  a  small  coin  to  one  of  the  latter,  and  was 
immediately  surrounded  by  others  who  wished  to  be  remem- 
bered. The  mother  of  the  infants  sent  one  of  them  to  me 
with  a  freshly  killed  goose,  which  I  declined  accepting. 

The  head  of  the  establishment  examined  my  watch  atten- 
tively, but  I  think  his  curiosity  was  simulated,  as  he  must 
have  seen  many  watches  among  the  Russians.  Not  to  be  out- 
done in  curiosity,  I  admired  the  trappings  attached  to  his 
belt.  These  were  a  knife,  a  pipe,  pouches  for  bullets,  tinder, 
powder,  tobacco,  and  flints,  a  pointed  iron  for  cleaning  a  pipe, 
and  two  or  three  articles  whose  use  I  could  not  ascertain. 
His  dress  was  a  deerskin  frock  and  leggings,  and  his  cap  of 
Chinese  felt  cloth  was  in  several  thicknesses  and  fitted  close 
to  his  head. 

Outside  the  hut  Borasdine  gave  the  man  a  cigar,  but  the 
gift  was  not  appreciated.  The  native  preferred  tobacco  and 
was  better  satisfied  when  I  gave  him  enough  to  fill  his  pipe. 
The  Managres  smoke  the  Manjourian  tobacco,  which  is  raised 
in  large  quantities  along  the  middle  Amoor  and  the  Songaree. 
It  is  much  like  Connecticut  leaf,  but  has  a  more  pungent 


236 


A   PRIMITIVE  RIFLE. 


flavor,  and  lacks  the  delicacy  of  Havana  tobacco.  Men,  wo- 
men, and  children  are  alike  addicted  to  its  use. 

Our  new  acquaintance  was  a  hunter,  and  allowed  us,  though 
with  hesitation,  to  look  at  his  rifle.  It  had  a  flint  lock  of 
curious  construction,  the  hammer  being  drawn  back  to  a  hori- 
zontal position  and  held  in  place  by  a  notched  piece  of  bone. 
The  breech-pin  was  gone,  and  a  piece  of  stone  fixed  in  the 
stock  filled  its  place.  The  breech  of  the  stock  was  but  little 
larger  than  the  other  part,  and  seemed  very  awkwardly  con- 


marksmen  and  rarely 
missed  a  shot.  When  within  proper  distance  of  their  game 
they  place  their  supporting  sticks  very  quickly  and  with  such 
caution  as  to  make  no  noise. 

One  intoxicated  aboriginal  stood  in  the  group  of  Cossacks 
on  the  bank  and  appeared  quarrelsome,  but  found  the  Rus- 
sians too  good-natured  for  his  purpose.  A  light  shower  scat- 
tered the  crowd  and  left  the  inebriate  addressing  a  horse  and 
a  wood-pile. 

On  the  11th  of  October  the  weather  was  like  summer,  the 
air  still  and  clear  and  my  thermometer  standing  at  71  de- 
grees. During  the  night  I  found  it  necessary  to  take  an  ex- 
tra blanket,  and  at  noon  of  the  12th  the  thermometer  was  at 
45°,  with  a  cloudy  sky  and  a  breeze  from  the  northeast.  This 
change  of  twenty-six  degrees  was  too  much  for  comfort,  but 
of  little  consequence  compared  to  my  subsequent  experience. 
Instances  have  been  known  of  a  change  of  seventy  degrees 
in  twelve  hours  from  a  sudden  shifting  of  the  wind.    On  the 


RIFLE  SHOOTING. 


trived.  A  forked  stick 
is  carried  to  form  a 
rest,  that  ensures  the 
accuracy  of  aim.  Pow- 
der and  lead  are  so  ex- 
pensive that  great  econ- 
omy is  shown  in  their 
use.  I  was  told  these 
natives  were  excellent 


A    COMPOSITE   POPULATION.  237 

morning  of  the  13th  we  had  a  light  fall  of  snow,  with  the  air 
at  freezing  point  and  the  water  at  40°.* 

We  passed  a  rock  projecting  far  into  the  river,  with  pre- 
cipitous sides  and  a  sharp  summit  visible  for  some  distance 
along  the  Amoor.  Below  it  is  a  small  harbor,  where  the  Rus- 
sian steamer  Mala  Nadeshda  (Little  Hope)  passed  the  winter 
of  1855.  She  was  on  her  way  to  Stratensk,  carrying  Ad- 
miral Puchachin  on  his  return  from  a.  mission  to  Japan. 
Caught  by  ice  the  Nadeshda  wintered  under  shelter  of  this 
rock,  while  the  Admiral  became  a  horse  marine  and  mounted 
a  saddle  for  a  ride  of  four  hundred  miles.  Since  that  time 
the  rock  has  borne  the  name  of  the  boat  it  protected. 

In  most  of  the  villages  there  are  schools  for  educating  the 
boys  of  the  Cossacks  and  peasants.  Some  pupils  are  admit- 
ted free,  while  from  others  a  small  fee  is  required.  Occa- 
sionally I  saw  boys  flocking  to  the  schools  at  sound  of  the 
master's  bell,  or  coming  out  at  recess  or  dismissal.  I  h  act  no 
opportunity  to  inspect  one  of  these  establishments,  but  pre- 
sume my  description  of  the  one  at  Mihalofski  will  answer  for 
all.  The  youths  were  as  noisy  as  school-boys  everywhere, 
and  when  out  of  restraint  indulged  in  the  same  hilarity  as.  if 
born  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  or  the  Thames. 

At  noon  on  the  14th  we  stopped  at  Albazin  to  leave  pas- 
sengers and  take  wood.  It  was  Sunday,  and  the  population 
appeared  in  its  best  clothing,  a  few  of  the  women  sporting 
crinoline,  and  all  wearing  their  best  calicoes.  Among  the 
men  there  were  Cossacks  and  soldiers  in  their  grey  coats  or 
in  plain  cloth  and  sheepskin.  I  saw  a  few  Yakuts  with  the 
narrow  eyes  of  the  Tunguze  and  their  clothing  of  deerskin. 

*  I  here  enter  a  protest  against  the  Fahrenheit  thermometer,  and  think  all 
who  have  used  it  to  any  extent  will  join  me  in  preferring  the  Centigrade  or 
Reaumer  scales.  Centigrade  has  the  freezing  point  at  zero  and  the  boiling  point 
at  100°.  Reaumer  freezes  at  zero  and  boils  at  80°.  Fahrenheit  very  clumsily 
freezes  at  32°  and  boils  at  212°.  The  difference  in  the  graduation  of  the  scale  is 
of  much  less  consequence  than  the  awkwardness  of  beginning  the  reading  at  32°. 
The  Russians  use  Reaumer's  method,  and  I  always  envied  them  their  conven- 
ience of  saying  ■  there  are  so  many  degrees  of  cold/  or  '  so  many  of  heat/  while 
I  was  forced  to  count  from  32°  to  use  my  national  scale. 


238 


TRACES   OF   A    CHINESE  SIEGE. 


A  few  Orochons  stood  apart  from  the  Russians,  but  not  less 
observant  of  the  boat  and  those  on  board.  Outside  the  vil- 
lage were  three  or  four  conical  yourts  belonging  to  the  abo- 
riginals. It  is  said  this  people  formerly  lived  in  the  province 
of  Yakutsk,  whence  they  emigrated  to  the  Amoor  in  1825. 
One  of  their  chiefs  has  a  hunting  knife  with  the  initials  of 
the  Empress  Catherine.  It  was  presented  to  an  ancestor  of 
the  present  owner. 

Albazin  is  finely  situated  on  a  plateau  fifty  feet  high  and 
extending  some,  distance  back  to  the  mountains.  Opposite  is 
a  small  river  abounding  in  fish,  and  in  front  an  island  several 
thousand  acres  in  extent  and  very  fertile.  Though  less  than 
seven  years  old,  Albazin  had  already  begun  to  sell  grain  for 
transportation  to  Nerchinsk.  A  steamer  laden  with  grain 
left  for  Stratensk  three  days  before  our  arrival. 

Albazin  is  of  historical  interest  to  the  Russians.  In  the 
year  1669  a  Polish  adventurer  named  Chernigofsky  built  a 
fort  at  Albazin.  That  his  men  might  not  be  without  the  com- 
forts of  religion  he  brought  a  priest,  who  founded  a  church 
at  the  new  settlement.  It  is  related  that  when  organizing 
his  expedition  he  forcibly  seized  this  priest  and  kept  him  un- 
der guard  during  the  journey  to  the  Amoor.  The  Chinese 
twice  besieged  Albazin,  once  with  eighteen  thousand  men,  and 
afterward  with  nearly  double  that  number.  The  Russians 
resisted  a  long  time,  and  were  only  driven  from  the  Amoor 
by  the  famous  treaty  of  Nerchinsk  in  1689. 

When  I  landed  at  Albazin,  Captain  Porotof,  superintendent 
of  the  Russian  settlements  between  that  point  and  Komarskoi, 
guided  me  through  the  ruins.  The  present  village  of  Alba- 
zin is  inside  the  line  of  Chinese  works,  and  the  church  occu- 
pies the  interior  of  the  old  fort.  All  the  lines  of  intrench- 
ment  and  siege  can  be  easily  seen,  the  fort  being  distinctly 
visible  from  the  river.  Its  walls  are  about  ten  feet  high,  and 
the  ditch  is  partially  filled  from  the  washing  of  earth  during 
the  many  years  since  the  evacuation.  A  drain  that  carries 
water  from  the  church  has  cut  a  hole  through  the  embank- 


VALUABLE   SABLE  FURS. 


239 


ment.  In  it  I  could  see  the  traces  of  the  trees  and  brush- 
wood used  in  making  the  fort. 

In  the  fort  and  around  it  cannon  shot,  bullets,  arrow  heads, 
and  pieces  of  pottery  are  frequently  found.  A  few  years  ago 
a  magazine  of  rye  was  discovered,  the  grains  being  perfect 
and  little  injured  by  time.  Captain  Porotof  gave  me  two 
Chinese  cannon  shot  recently  found  there  and  greatly  rough- 
ened on  the  surface  by  the  action  of  rust.  The  position  and 
arrangement  of  their  batteries  and  lines  of  circumvallation 
show  that  the  Chinese  were  skilled  in  the  art  of  war. 

Albazin  was  valuable  to  the  early  adventurers  on  account 
of  the  fine  sables  taken  in  its  vicinity.  It  is  important  now 
for  the  same  reason.  The  Albazin  sable  is  the  best  on  the 
Amoor  ;  that  of  the  Buryea  mountains  is  next,  and  that  from 
Blagoveshchensk  is  third  in  grade.  At  several  places  I  saw 
these  furs,  but  found  none  of  them  equaling  the  furs  of 
Kamchatka. 

Some  interesting  stories  about  the  siege  of  Albazin  are  told 
by  the  Russians.  While  the  siege  was  progressing  and  the 
garrison  was  greatly  distressed  for  want  of  food,  Chernigofsky 
sent  a  pie  weighing  forty  or  fifty  pounds  to  the  Chinese  com- 
mander to  convince  him  that  the  fort  was  abundantly  sup- 
plied. The  latter  was  so  delighted  with  the  gift  that  he  sent 
back  for  more,  but  his  request  was  unheeded.  He  probably 
saw  through  the  little  game  they  were  attempting  to  play  on 
him  and  determined  to  beat  them  at  it.  History  does  not 
say  whether  the  pie  was  pork,  mutton,  or  anything  else.  Pos- 
sibly the  curs  of  Albazin  may  have  entered  into  its  composi- 
tion. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


ABOVE  Albazin  the  Amoor  steadily  narrows ;  the  hills 
are  more  rugged  ;  the  trees  less  luxuriant ;  the  mead- 
ows fewer,  and  the  islands  less  extensive.  On  the  morning 
of  the  15th  my  thermometer  was  at  +16°,  and  the  trees  on 
the  shore  were  white  with  frost.  The  deck  passengers  shiv- 
ered around  the  engines  and  endeavored  to  extract  heat  from 
them.  The  cabin  passengers,  excepting  myself,  were  wrap- 
ped in  their  fur  coats  as  if  it  were  midwinter.  I  walked 
about  in  my  ordinary  clothing,  finding  the  air  bracing  but  not 
uncomfortable.  I  could  not  understand  how  the  Russians 
felt  the  cold  when  it  did  not  affect  me,  and  was  a  little  proud 
of  my  insensibility  to  frost.  Conceit  generally  comes  of  ig- 
norance, and  as  I  learned  wisdom  I  lost  my  vanity  about  re- 
sisting cold. 

Nearly  every  day  on  the  Korsackoff  I  was  puzzled  at  find- 
ing laurel  leaves  in  the  soup,  and  did  not  understand  it  till  I 
saw  a  barrel  of  beef  opened.  There  were  lots  of  laurel  leaves 
packed  with  the  meat,  and  I  learned  that  they  assist  the 
preservative  qualities  of  the  salt  and  give  an  agreeable  flavor. 
I  can  speak  in  favor  of  the  latter  theory,  but  know  nothing 
about  the  former.  The  ancient  Romans  wore  laurel  crowns, 
but  they  did  not  prevent  the  decline  and  fall  of  their  empire. 
Possibly  the  Russians  may  have  better  success  in  saving  their 
beef  by  the  use  of  the  laurel. 

During  a  fog  on  the  river  we  grazed  a  rock,  slid  upon  a 
sandbar,  and  then  anchored,  as  we  should  have  done  at  first. 
When  in  motion  we  employed  all  possible  time,  and,  consid- 
ering the  state  of  our  engines,  made  very  good  progress. 

(240) 


A    PICTURESQUE  LANDING. 


241 


Borasdine  learned  from  our  Cossack  the  explanation  of  this 
haste. 

"  The  pilots,  firemen,  and  nearly  all  the  crew,"  said  the 
Cossack,  "  have  their  wives  at  Stratensk,  and  are  anxious  to 
winter  with  them.  If  the  boat  is  frozen  in  below  there  they 
must  remain  till  she  thaws  out  again.  Consequently  their 
desire  to  finish  the  voyage  before  the  ice  is  running." 

At  Ignatiena  I  met  Colonel  Shobeltsin,  an  officer  identified 
with  all  the  movements  for  the  final  occupation  of  the  Amoor. 
In  1852  he  made  a  journey  from  Irkutsk  to  Nicolayevsk,  fol- 
lowing a  route  up  to  that  time  untraveled.  He  accompanied 
Mouravieff 's  expedition  in  1854,  and  was  afterward  intimately 
connected  with  colonization  enterprises.  A  few  years  ago  he 
retired  from  service  and  settled  at  this  village.  His  face  in- 
dicates his  long  and  arduous  service,  and  I  presume  he  has 
seen  enough  hardship  to  enjoy  comfort  for  the  rest  of  his 
days. 

His  house  was  the  best  on  the  Amoor  above  Blagovesh- 
chensk and  very  comfortably  furnished.  In  the  principal 
room  there  were  portraits  of  many  Russian  notabilities,  with 
lithographs  and  steel  engravings  from  various  parts  of  the 
world.  Among  them  were  two  pictures  of  American  country 
life,  bearing  the  imprint  of  a  New  York  publisher.  I  had 
frequently  seen  these  lithographs  in  a  window  on  Nassau 
street,  little  thinking  I  should  find  them  on  the  other  side  of 
the  world.  One  room  was  quite  a  museum  and  contained  a 
variety  of  articles  made  by  Manjours  and  Tunguze.  There 
were  heads  of  deer,  sable,  and  birds,  while  a  quantity  of  furs 
hung  near  the  door. 

With  a  spirit  of  hospitality  the  Colonel  prepared  us  a 
breakfast  during  our  brief  stay,  and  invited  us  to  join  him  in 
the  beverage  of  the  country.  When  we  returned  to  the  boat 
the  steward  was  superintending  the  killing  of  a  bullock  at 
the  bank.  Half  a  dozen  wolfish  dogs  were  standing  ready  to 
breakfast  as  soon  as  the  slaughtering  was  over.  A  Cossack 
officer  in  a  picturesque  costume  stood  on  the  bank  near  the 
boat.  He  wore  an  embroidered  coat  of  sheepskin,  the  wool 
16 


242 


THE   END   OF   THE   A  MOOR. 


inside,  a  shaggy  cap  of  coal-black  wool,  and  a  pair  of  fur- 
topped  boots.  All  his  garments  were  new  and  well  fitting, 
and  contrasted  greatly  with  the  greasy  and  long  used  coats 
of  the  Cossacks  on  the  boat.  Sheepskin  garments  can  look 
more  repulsive  than  cloth  ones  with  equal  wearing.  Age  can 
wither  and  custom  stale  their  infinite  variety. 

Winding  among  the  mountains  and  cliffs  that  enclose  the 
valley  we  reached  in  the  evening  a  village  four  miles  below 
the  head  of  the  Amoor.  I  rose  at  daybreak  on  the  17th  to 
make  my  adieus  to  the  river.  The  morning  was  clear  and 
frosty,  and  the  stars  were  twinkling  in  the  sky,  save  in  the 
east  where  the  blush  of  dawn  was  visible.  The  hills  were 
faintly  touched  with  a  little  snow  that  had  fallen  during  the 
night.  The  trunks  of  the  birches  rose  like  ghosts  among  the 
pines  and  larches  of  the  forest,  while  craggy  rocks  pushed 
out  here  and  there  like  battlements  of  a  fortress.  The  paw- 
ing steamer  with  her  mane  of  stars  breasted  the  current  with 
her  prow  bearing  directly  toward  the  west. 

"  Just  around  that  point,"  said  the  first  officer  of  the  Kor- 
sackoff  as  lie  directed  his  finger  toward  a  headland  on  the 
Chinese  shore,  "  you  will  see  the  mouth  of  the  Argoon  on  the 
left  and  the  Shilka  on  the  right ; — wait  a  moment,  it  is  not 
quite  time  yet." 

When  we  rounded  the  promontory  dawn  had  grown  to  day- 
light, and  the  mountains  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Argoon 
came  into  view.  A  few  minutes  later  I  saw  the  defile  of  the 
Shilka.  Between  the  streams  Hie  mountains  narrowed  and 
came  to  a  point  a  mile  above  the  meeting  of  the  waters.  On 
the  delta  below  the  mountains  is  the  Russian  village  and  Cos- 
sack post  of  Oust-Strelka  (Arrow  Mouth,)  situated  in  Lati- 
tude 53°  19'  45"  North,  and  Longitude  121°  50'  7"  East.  It 
is  on  the  Argoon  side  of  the  delta  and  contains  but  a  few 
houses.  I  knew  by  the  smoke  that  so  gracefully  curled  in 
the  cold  atmosphere  that  the  inhabitants  were  endeavoring  to 
make  themselves  comfortable. 

The  Amoor  is  formed  by  the  union  of  these  rivers,  just  as 
the  Ohio  is  formed  by  the  Allegheny  and  Monongahela.  Ge- 


ADIEU   TO   THE   GREAT   STREAM.  243 

ographers  generally  admit  that  the  parent  stream  of  a  river 
is  the  one  whose  source  is  farthest  from  the  junction.  The 
Argoon  flows  from  the  lake  Koulon,  which  is  filled  by  the 
river  Kerolun,  rising  in  the  Kentei  Khan  mountains  in  North- 
ern Mongolia.  Together  the  Argoon  and  Kerolun  have  a 
development  of  more  than  a  thousand  miles.  There  are 
many  Cossacks  settled  along  the  Argoon  as  a  frontier  guard. 
The  river  is  not  navigable,  owing  to  numerous  rocks  and 
rapids. 

Genghis  Khan,  who  subdued  China  and  began  that  won- 
derful career  of  Tartar  conquest  that  extended  to  Middle 
Europe,  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  Kerolun.  Some  of 
his  early  battles  were  fought  in  its  valley. 

The  Shilka  is  formed  by  the  Onon  and  Ingodah,  that  rise 
in  the  region  north  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Kerolun. 
From  the  sources  of  the  Onon  to  Oust-Strelka  is  a  distance 
of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  There  are  many  gold 
mines  along  this  river,  and  the  whole  mountain  chain  is 
known  to  be  rich  in  minerals.  Including  its  tributaries  on 
both  sides  and  at  its  formation,  the  Amoor  as  it  flows  into 
the  Gulf  of  Tartary  drains  a  territory  of  766,000  square 
miles. 

There  is  a  little  island  just  below  the  point  of  land  extend- 
ing between  the  two  rivers.  As  we  approached  it  the  steamer 
turned  to  the  right  and  proceeded  up  the  Shilka,  leaving  the 
Amoor  behind  us.  I  may  never  see  this  great  river  again, 
but  I  shall  never  forget  its  magnificent  valley  and  its  waters 
washing  the  boundaries  of  two  empires  and  bringing  the 
civilization  of  the  East  and  "West  in  contact.  I  shall  never 
forget  its  many  islands,  among  which  we  wound  our  tortuous 
way ;  its  green  meadows,  its  steep  cliffs,  and  its  blue  moun- 
tains, that  formed  an  ever-changing  and  ever  beautiful  pic- 
ture. I  shall  never  forget  its  forests  where  the  yellow  hues 
of  autumn  contrasted  with  the  evergreen  pine  and  its  kind- 
red, and  which  nature  has  lavishly  spread  to  shield  the  earth 
from  the  pitiless  storm  and  give  man  wherewith  to  erect  his 
habitation  and  light  his  hearthstone  with  generous  fire. 


244     GENERAL    MOURAVIEPP'S  EXPEDITIONS. 

Mountain,  hill,  forest,  island,  and  river  will  rise  to  me  here- 
after in  imagination  as  they  rose  then  in  reality.  A  voyage 
along  the  entire  course  of  the  Amoor  is  one  that  the  longest 
lifetime  cannot  efface  from  the  memory. 

For  a  hundred  and  sixty  years  the  little  post  of  Oust-Strel- 
ka  was  the  most  easterly  possession  of  Russia  in  the  Amoor 
valley.  In  J  347  Lieutenant  General  Mouravieff,  having  been 
appointed  Governor  General  of  Eastern  Siberia,  determined 
to  explore  the  river.  In  the  following  spring  he  sent  an  offi- 
cer with  four  Cossacks  to  descend  the  Amoor  as  far  as  was 
prudent.  The  officer  took  a  liberal  supply  of  presents  for  the 
people  along  the  banks,  and  was  instructed  to  avoid  all  col- 
lisions with  the  natives  and  not  to  enter  their  towns.  From 
the  day  of  his  departure  to  the  present  nothing  has  ever  been 
heard  of  him  or  his  men.  Diligent  inquiries  have  been  made 
among  the  natives  and  the  Chinese  authorities,  but  no  infor- 
mation gained.  It  is  supposed  the  party  were  drowned  by 
accident,  or  killed  by  hostile  residents  along  the  river. 

In  1850  and  the  three  following  years  the  mouth  of  the 
Amoor  was  examined  and  settlements  founded,  as  already 
described.  The  year  1854  is  memorable  for  the  first  descent 
of  the  Amoor  by  a  military  expedition.  The  outbreak  of  the 
Crimean  war  rendered  it  necessary  to  supply  the  Russian 
fleet  in  the  Pacific.  The  colonies  on  the  Pacific  needed  pro- 
visions, and  the  Amoor  offered  the  only  feasible  route  to  send 
them.  General  Mouravieff  made  his  preparations,  and  ob- 
tained the  consent  of  his  government  to  the  important  step. 
He  asked  the  permission  of  the  Chinese,  but  those  worthies 
were  as  dilatory  as  usual,  and  Mouravieff  could  not  wait. 
He  left  Shilikinsk  on  the  27th  of  May,  escorted  by  a  thousand 
soldiers  with  several  guns,  and  carrying  an  ample  supply  of 
provisions  for  the  Pacific  fleet. 

The  Chinese  made  no  actual  opposition,  but  satisfied  them- 
selves with  counting  the  boats  that  passed.  Mouravieff  sup- 
plied the  fleet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Amoor,  and  then  returned 
by  way  of  Ayan  to  Irkutsk.  The  troops  were  left  to  garrison 
the  fortified  points  on  or  near  the  sea. 


THE    ARGOON    AND  SHILKA. 


245 


In  1855  three  more  expeditions  left  Shilikinsk  with  soldiers 
and  colonists.  General  Mouravieff  accompanied  the  first  of 
these  expeditions  and  went  directly  to  Nicolayevsk.  The 
allied  fleet  attempted  to  enter  the  Amoor  but  could  not  suc- 
ceed. The  general  sent  his  compliments  to  the  English  Ad- 
miral and  told  him  to  come  on  if  he  could  and  he  should  be 
warmly  received.  In  1856  a  few  Cossack  posts  were  estab- 
lished along  the  river,  and  in  the  next  year  nearly  three  thou- 
sand Cossacks  were  sent  there.  The  Chinese  made  a  formal 
protest  against  these  movements,  and  there  were  fears  of  a 
hostile  collision.  The  reverses  that  China  suffered  from  the 
English  and  French  prevented  war  with  Russia,  and  in  1858 
Mouravieff  concluded  a  treaty  at  Igoon  by  which  the  Russian 
claim  to  the  country  north  of  the  Amoor  and  east  of  the 
Ousuree  was  acknowledged.  The  Russians  were  thus  firmly 
established,  and  the  development  of  the  country  has  pro- 
gressed peacefully  since  that  period. 

As  the  Argoon  from  its  mouth  to  Lake  Kerolun  forms  the 
boundary  between  the  empires  I  lost  sight  of  China  when  we 
entered  the  Shilka.  As  I  shivered  on  the  steamer's  bridge, 
my  breath  congealing  on  my  beard,  and  the  hills  beyond  the 
Amoor  and  Argoon  white  with  the  early  snow  of  winter,  I 
could  not  see  why  the  Celestials  call  their  land  the  '  Central 
Flowery  Kingdom.' 

The  Shilka  has  a  current  flowing  four  or  five  miles  an 
hour.  The  average  speed  of  the  Korsackoff  in  ascending 
was  about  four  miles.  The  river  wound  among  mountains 
that  descended  to  the  water  without  intervening  plateaus,  and 
only  on  rare  occasions  were  meadows  visible.  The  forests 
were  pine  and  larch,  with  many  birches.  The  lower  part  of 
the  Shilka  has  very  little  agricultural  land,  and  the  only  set- 
tlements are  the  stations  kept  by  a  few  Cossacks,  who  cut 
wood  for  the  steamers  and  supply  horses  to  the  post  and 
travelers  in  winter. 

The  first  night  after  leaving  the  Amoor  there  was  a  pictur- 
esque scene  at  our  wooding  station.  The  mountains  were  re- 
vealed by  the  setting  moon,  and  their  outline  against  the  sky 


246 


SCENES   AT   THE  VILLAGES. 


was  sharply  defined.  We  had  a  large  fire  of  pine  boughs 
burning  on  the  shore,  and  its  bright  flames  lighted  both  sides 
of  the  river.  The  boatmen  in  their  sheepskin  coats  and  hats 
walked  slowly  to  and  fro,  and  gave  animation  to  the  picture. 
While  I  wrote  my  journal  the  horses  above  me  danced  as 
though  frolicking  over  a  hornet's  nest,  and  reduced  sentiment- 
al thoughts  to  a  minimum.  To  render  the  subject  more  in- 
teresting two  officers  and  the  priest  grew  noisy  over  a  triple 
game  of  cards  and  a  bottle  of  vodki.  I  wrote  in  my  over- 
coat, as  the  thermometer  was  at  30°  with  no  fire  in  the  cabin. 

We  frequently  met  rafts  with  men  and  horses  descending 
to  supply  the  post  stations,  or  bound  on  hunting  excursions. 
I  was  told  that  the  hunters  float  down  the  river  on  rafts  and 
then  make  long  circuits  by  land  to  their  points  of  departure. 
The  Siberian  squirrel  is  very  abundant  in  the  mountains 
north  of  the  Shilka,  and  his  fur  is  an  important  article  of 
commerce. 

We  stopped  at  Gorbitza,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Gorbitza 
river,  that  formerly  separated  Russia  and  China  and  was  the 
boundary  up  to  1854. 

Above  this  point  the  villages  had  an  appearance  of  respect- 
able age  not  perceptible  in  the  settlements  along  the  Amoor. 
Ten  or  twelve  miles  from  our  wooding  place  we  met  ice  com- 
ing out  of  the  Chorney  river,  but  it  gave  us  no  inconvenience. 
The  valley  became  wider  and  the  hills  less  abrupt,  while  the 
villages  had  an  air  of  irregularity  more  pleasing  than  the 
military  precision  on  the  Amoor.  I  saw  many  dwellings  on 
which  decay's  effacing  fingers  were  busy.  The  telegraph 
posts  were  fixed  above  Gorbitza,  but  the  wires  had  not  been 
strung. 

There  were  many  haystacks  at  the  villages,  and  I  could  see 
droves  of  cattle  and  sheep  on  the  cleared  hills.  At  one  land- 
ing I  found  a  man  preparing  his  house  for  winter  by  calking 
the  seams  with  moss.  Under  the  eaves  of  another  house 
there  were  many  birds  that  resembled  American  swallows. 
I  could  not  say  whether  they  were  migratory  or  not,  but  if 
the  former  they  were  making  their  northern  stay  a  late  one. 


HOTELS   OF   THE  EXILES. 


247 


Their  twitterings  reminded  me  of  the  time  when  I  used  to 
go  at  nightfall,  6  when  the  swallows  homeward  fly,'  and  listen 
to  the  music  without  melody  as  the  birds  exchanged  their 
greetings,  told 
their  loves,  and 
gossipped  of  their 
adventures. 

Just  at  sunset 
we  reached  Shili- 
k  i  n  s  k,  a  town 
stretching  nearly 
two  miles  along 
the  river,  on  a 
plateau  thirty  feet 
high.  We  stop- 
ped in  the  morn- 
ing where  there 
was  abundance  of 
wood,  but  only  took  enough  to  carry  us  to  Shilikinsk.  There 
was  a  lady  in  the  case.  Our  first  officer  had  a  feminine  ac- 
quaintance at  the  town,  and  accordingly  wished  to  stop  for 
wood,  and,  if  possible,  to  pass  the  night  there.  His  plan 
failed,  as  no  wood  could  be  discovered  at  Shilikinsk,  though 
our  loving  mate  scanned  every  part  of  the  bank.  We  had 
enough  fuel  to  take  us  a  few  miles  farther,  where  we  found 
wood  and  remained  for  the  night.  The  disappointed  swain 
pocketed  his  chagrin  and  solaced  himself  by  playing  the 
agreeable  to  a  lady  passenger. 

I  saw  in  the  edge  of  the  town  a  large  building  surrounded 
with  a  palisaded  wall.  "  What  is  that?"  I  asked,  pointing 
to  the  structure  new  to  my  eyes. 

"  It  is  a  station  for  exiles,"  was  my  friend's  reply,  "  when 
they  pass  through  the  town.  They  generally  remain  here 
over  night,  and  sometimes  a  few  days,  and  this  is  their  lodg- 
ing.   You  will  see  many  such  on  your  way  through  Siberia." 

"Is  it  also  the  prison  for  those  who  are  kept  here  perman- 
ently?" 


PREPARING  FOR  WINTER. 


248 


END    OP    WATER  TRAVEL. 


"  No  ;  the  prison  is  another  affair.  The  farmer  prison  at 
Snilikinsk  has  been  converted  into  a  glass  manufactory.  Just 
behind  it  is  a  large  tannery,  heretofore  celebrated  throughout 
Eastern  Siberia  for  its  excellent  leather." 

As  we  proceeded  the  country  became  more  open  and  less 
mountainous,  and  I  saw  wide  fields  on  either  side.  A  road 
was  visible  along  the  northern  bank  of  the  river,  sometimes 
cut  in  the  hillside  where  the  slope  was  steep.  On  the  south- 
ern bank  there  was  no  road  beyond  that  for  local  use.  The 
telegraph  followed  the  northern  side,  but  frequently  left  the 
road  to  take  short  cuts  across  the  hills. 

We  struck  a  rock  ten  miles  from  our  journey's  end,  and 
for  several  minutes  I  thought  we  should  go  gracefully  to  the 
bottom.  We  whirled  twice  around  on  the  rock  before  we  left 
it,  and  our  captain  feared  we  had  sprung  a  leak.  When  once 
more  afloat  Borasdine  and  I  packed  our  baggage  and  prepared 
for  the  shore.  We  ate  the  last  of  our  preserves  and  gave 
sundry  odds  and  ends  to  the  Cossacks.  As  a  last  act  we 
opened  the  remaining  bottles  of  a  case  of  champagne,  and 
joined  officers  and  fellow  passengers  in  drinking  everybody's 
health. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  October  we  were  in  sight 
of  Stratensk.  The  summer  barracks  were  first  visible,  and 
a  moment  later  I  could  see  the  church  dome.  In  nearly  all 
Russian  towns  the  churches  are  the  first  objects  visible  on 
arriving  and  the  last  on  departing.  The  house  of  worship  is 
no  less  prominent  in  the  picture  of  a  Russian  village  than  the 
ceremonies  of  religion  in  the  daily  life  of  the  people. 

There  was  a  large  crowd  on  the  bank  to  welcome  us.  Offi- 
cers, soldiers,  merchants,  Cossacks,  peasants,  women,  chil- 
dren, and  dogs  were  in  goodly  numbers.  Our  own  officers 
were  in  full  uniform  to  make  their  calls  on  shore.  The 
change  of  costume  that  came  over  several  passengers  was  in- 
teresting in  the  extreme. 

At  last  the  steamer  ceased  her  asthmatic  wheeze  and  drop- 
ped her  anchor  at  the  landing.  We  gave  our  baggage  to  a 
Cossack  to  take  to  the  hotel.    Soon  as  the  rush  over  the  plank 


PLEASURE    AND  PAIN. 


249 


was  ended  I  walked  ashore  from  the  Korsackoff  for  the  last 
time. 

So  ended,  for  the  present,  my  water  journeying.  I  had 
zig-zagged  from  New  York  a  distance,  by  my  line  of  travel, 
not  less  than  fifteen  thousand  miles.  The  only  actual  land 
route  on  my  way  had  been  forty-seven  miles,  between  Aspin- 
wall  and  Panama.  I  had  traveled  on  two  ocean  passenger- 
steamers,  one  private  steamer  of  miniature  size,  a  Russian 
corvette,  a  gunboat  of  the  Siberian  fleet,  and  two  river  boats 
of  the  Amoor  flotilla.  Not  a  serious  accident  had  occurred 
to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  journey.  There  had  been  discom- 
forts, privations,  and  little  annoyances  of  sufficient  frequency, 
but  they  only  added  interest  to  the  way. 

The  proverb  well  says  there  is  no  rose  without  a  thorn,  and 
it  might  add  that  the  rose  would  be  less  appreciable  were 
there  no  thorn.  Half  our  pleasures  have  their  zest  in  the 
toil  through  which  they  are  gained.  In  travel,  the  little  hard- 
ships and  vexations  bring  the  novelties  and  comforts  into 
stronger  relief,  and  make  the  voyager's  happiness  more  real. 
It  is.  an  excellent  trait  of  human  nature  that  the  traveler  can 
remember  with  increased  vividness  the  pleasing  features  of 
his  journey  while  he  forgets  their  opposites.  Privations  and 
discomforts  appeal  directly  to  the  body ;  their  effect  once 
passed  the  physical  system  courts  oblivion.  Pleasures  reach 
our  higher  being,  which  experiences,  enjoys,  and  remembers. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


STRATENSK  is  neither  large  nor  handsome.  The  most 
I  saw  of  it  was  near  the  hotel  whither  we  went  from 
the  boat.  The  rooms  we  were  shown  into  faced  the  river, 
and  had  high  walls  decorated  with  a  few  pictures.  My  apart- 
ment had  a  brick  stove  in  one  corner,  a  table,  three  or  four 
chairs,  and  a  wide  sofa  or  cushioned  bench  without  a  back. 
This  last  article  served  as  bed  by  night  and  seat  by  day.  No 
bed  clothing  is  furnished  in  a  Siberian  hotel,  each  traveler 
being  expected  to  carry  his  own  supply. 

The  government  has  a  foundry  and  repair  shop  two  miles 
above  the  town,  where  several  steamers  pass  the  winter  and 
have  their  machinery  repaired.  Immediately  on  arrival  we 
sent  to  request  Mr.  Lovett,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the 
works,  to  call  upon  us.  He  responded  promptly,  and  came 
while  we  were  at  supper.  Being  English  and  with  a  slight 
tendency  to  embonpoint,  he  readily  accepted  several  bottles  of 
4  Bass  &  Co.'  that  remained  from  our  small  stores.  He  was 
accompanied  by  Captain  Ivashinsoff,  who  spoke  English  easily 
and  well.  His  knowledge  of  it  was  obtained  rather  roman- 
tically as  the  story  was  told  me. 

Two  years  earlier  this  officer  happened  in  Hong  Kong  and 
during  his  stay  an  American  vessel  arrived.  Her  captain  had 
been  seriously  ill  for  some  weeks  and  totally  incapable  of 
duty.  The  first  mate  died  on  the  voyage,  and  the  second  was 
not  equal  to  the  difficulties  of  navigation.  The  captain  was 
accompanied  by  his  daughter,  who  had  been  several  years  at 
sea  and  learned  the  mysteries  of  Bowditch  more  as  a  pastime 
than  for  anything  else.    In  the  dilemma  she  assumed  control 

(250) 


OVER   THE  RIVER. 


251 


of  the  ship,  making  the  daily  observation  and  employing  the 
mate  as  executive  officer.  When  they  reached  Hong  Kong 
the  captain  was  just  recovering.  The  young  woman  came 
on  shore,  saw  and  conquered  the  Russian.  Neither  spoke  the 
other's  language,  and  their  conversation  was  conducted  in 
French.  After  their  marriage  they  began  to  study,  and  had 
made  such  progress  that  I  found  the  captain  speaking  good 
English,  and  learned  that  the  lady  was  equally  fluent  in  Rus- 
sian. She  was  living  at  Stratensk  at  the  time  of  my  visit, 
and  I  greatly  regretted  that  our  short  stay  prevented  my  see- 
ing her.  She  was  a  native  of  Chelsea,  Massachusetts,  and 
was  said  to  enjoy  her  home  on  the  Amoor. 

Three  or  four  steamers  were  in  winter  quarters,  and  the 
KorsackofF  was  to  join  them  immediately.  Both  at  Stratensk 
and  Nicolayevsk  it  is  the  custom  to  remove  the  machinery 
from  steamers  during  winter.  It  is  carefully  housed  to  pre- 
vent its  rusting,  and  I  presume  to  lessen  the  loss  in  case  of 
fire  or  damage  from  breaking  ice. 

We  talked  with  our  new  friends  till  late  in  the  evening, 
and  then  prepared  to  continue  our  journey.  Lovett  gave  me 
his  blessing  and  a  feather  pillow  ;  the  former  to  cover  general 
accidents  and  the  latter  to  prevent  contusions  from  the  jolt- 
ing vehicle.  Borasdine  obtained  a  Cossack  to  accompany  us 
on  the  road  and  ordered  our  baggage  made  ready.  The  Cos- 
sack piled  it  into  a  wagon  and  it  was  transported  to  the  ferry 
landing  and  dumped  upon  the  gravel.  We  followed  and 
halted  in  front  of  the  palisaded  hotel  of  the  exiles.  The 
ferry  boat  was  on  the  opposite  shore,  four  or  five  hundred 
yards  away.    Borasdine  called,  but  the  boatmen  did  not  rise. 

"  Dai  sloopka ! "  (send  a  boat.) 

After  a  moment's  pause  he  repeated : 

"  Dai  sloopka ! " 

He  added  the  usually  magic  word  "  courier!"  but  it  had 
no  effect.  He  shouted  repeatedly  and  grew  hoarse.  Then  I 
lifted  up  my  voice  like  a  pelican  in  the  wilderness,  but  with 
no  better  effect.  When  we  had  almost  reached  the  pitch  of 
despair  a  man  appeared  from  behind  a  wood  pile  and  tried 


252 


A    DIFFICULT  CROSSING. 


his  vocal  organs  in  our  behalf.  At  his  second  call  a  reply 
was  given,  and  very  soon  a  light  twinkled  at  the  ferry  house. 

The  boat  was  a  long  time  coming,  and  while  we  waited  its 
arrival  a  drunken  Bouriat  made  himself  unpleasantly  famil- 
iar. As  often  as  I  changed  my  position  he  would  come  to 
my  side  and  endeavor  to  rest  his  dirty  arm  on  my  shoulder. 


STRATENSK,  EASTERN  SIBERIA. 


i  finally  walked 
through  a  pile  of 
brushwood  and 
crooked  sticks, 
which  was  too 
much  for  the  na- 
tive with  his  weak 

knees  and  muddy  brain.  After  struggling  with  a  persistency 
that  would  have  been  commendable  had  the  object  to  be  at- 
tained been  commensurate  to  the  effort,  he  became  inextrica- 
bly tangled,  and  I  left  him  in  the  loving  embrace  of  a  decay- 
ed tree-top. 

The  boat  came  with  four  shaggy  ferrymen,  who  had  some 
difficulty  in  reaching  land.    It  was  a  kind  of  large  skiff,  high 


RUSSIAN   LAND  TRAVEL. 


253 


at  both  ends  and  having  a  platform,  like  that  of  a  hay-scale, 
in  the  center.  The  platform  projected  a  foot  or  more  beyond 
the  sides  of  the  boat,  and  had  no  railing  to  prevent  a  fright- 
ened horse  or  drunken  man  going  overboard.  This  is  the 
general  style  of  river  ferry  boats  in  Siberia.  The  boatmen 
do  not  appear  very  skillful  in  handling  them,  but  I  learned 
that  serious  accidents  were  very  rare. 

We  piled  our  baggage  and  left  the  shore,  running  upon  two 
rocks  and  colliding  with  a  sandbar  before  getting  fairly  away. 
I  fell  asleep  during  the  crossing,  satisfied  that  the  crew  did 
not  need  my  assistance.  We  landed  where  the  road  is  cut 
into  the  rocky  bank,  and  were  obliged  to  lift  the  baggage  over 
a  pile  of  stony  debris.  The  boatmen  said  it  was  impossible 
to  go  to  the  regular  landing,  but  I  suspect  they  wished  an  ex- 
tra gratuity  for  handling  our  impedimenta.  Before  the  work 
was  finished  they  regretted  their  manoeuvre. 

As  we  touched  the  shore  one  man  went  to  the  station  to 
bring  horses  and  a  vehicle,  Borasdine  and  I  scrambled  over 
the  rocks  to  the  road  fifteen  feet  above  the  water,  and  by  the 
time  the  crew  brought  up  our  baggage  the  conveyance  ar- 
rived. It  was  what  the  Russians  call  a  telyaga,  drawn  by 
three  horses. 

This  carriage  is  of  Quaker  simplicity.  There  are  four 
wheels  on  wooden  axles,  with  rough  but  strong  i  reaches.' 
A  body,  shaped  something  like  an  old-fashioned  baby-cart, 
rests  upon  the  reaches  or  on  poles  fixed  over  them.  The 
hood  protects  against  wind  and  rain  from  behind,  and  the 
best  of  the  vehicles  have  boots  buttoned  in  front  and  attached 
to  the  hoods.  The  driver  sits  on  the  bow  directly  behind  the 
shaft-horse,  and  one  part  of  his  duty  is  to  keep  from  falling 
off.  The  traveler  spreads  his  baggage  inside  as  evenly  as 
possible  to  form  a  bed  or  cushion.  Angular  pieces  should  be 
discarded,  as  the  corners  are  disagreeable  when  jolted  against 
one's  sides.  Two  shafts  are  fixed  in  the  forward  axle,  and  a 
horse  between  them  forms  a  sort  of  point  oVappui.  Any 
number  from  one  to  six  can  be  tied  on  outside  of  him. 

The  fault  of  our  baggage  was  that  we,  or  rather  I,  had  too 


254 


A    BAD  ROAD. 


much.  Worst  of  all,  I  had  a  wooden  trunk  that  I  proposed 
throwing  away  at  Nicolayevsk,  but  had  been  told  I  could 
carry  to  Irkutsk  without  trouble.  It  could  not  ride  inside,  or 
if  it  did  we  could  not.  We  placed  the  small  articles  in  the 
interior  of  the  vehicle,  and  tied  the  trunk  and  Borasdine's 
chemadan  on  the  projecting  poles  behind.  The  chemadan  is 
in  universal  use  among  Siberian  travelers,  and  admirably 
adapted  to  the  road.  It  is  made  of  soft  leather,  fastens  with 
a  lacing  of  deer-skin  thongs,  and  can  be  lashed  nearly  water 
tight.  It  will  hold  a  great  deal, — I  never  saw  one  completely 
rilled, — and  accommodates  itself  to  the  shape  of  its  aggre- 
gate contents.  It  can  be  of  any  size  up  to  three  or  four  feet 
long,  and  its  dimensions  are  proportioned  to  each  other  about 
like  those  of  an  ordinary  pocket-book.  A  great  advantage  is 
the  absence  of  sharp  corners  and  the  facility  of  packing 
closely. 

We  acted  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  country  in  tying 
our  baggage  behind.  There  are  gentlemen  of  the  road  in 
Siberia  as  there  are  6  road  agents '  in  California.  The  Sibe- 
rian highwaymen  rarely  disturb  the  person  of  a  traveler,  but 
their  chief  amusement  is  to  cut  away  outside  packages.  As 
a  precaution  we  mounted  our  Cossack  on  the  trunk,  but  be- 
fore we  went  a  mile  he  fell  from  his  perch  in  spite  of  his  ut- 
most efforts  to  cling  to  the  vehicle.  After  that  event  he  rode 
by  the  driver's  side. 

On  seeing  Lovett  at  Stratensk  my  first  question  related  to 
the  condition  of  the  road.  "  Horrid,"  said  he.  "  The  worst 
time  to  travel.  There  has  been  much  rain  and  cold  weather. 
You  will  find  mud  either  soft  or  frozen  most  of  the  way  to 
Chetah." 

Before  we  started  the  driver  brought  an  additional  horse, 
and  after  a  preliminary  kick  or  two  we  took  the  road.  For 
a  few  miles  we  went  up  and  down  hills  along  the  edge  of  the 
river,  where  the  route  has  been  cut  at  much  labor  and  ex- 
pense. This  was  not  especially  bad,  the  worst  places  being 
at  the  hollows  between  the  hills  where  the  mud  was  half-con- 
gealed.   When  we  left  the  river  we  found  the  mud  that  Lov- 


KISSING   BY  FAVOR. 


255 


ett  prophesied.  Quality  and  quantity  were  alike  disagree- 
able. All  roads  have  length  more  or  less  ;  ours  had  length, 
breadth,  depth,  and  thickness.  The  bottom  was  not  regular 
like  that  of  the  Atlantic,  but  broken  into  inequalities  that 
gave  an  uneasy  motion  to  the  telyaga. 

To  travel  in  Siberia  one  must  have  a  padaroshnia,  or  road 
pass,  from  the  government  authorities,  stating  the  number  of 
horses  to  which  he  is  entitled.  There  are  three  grades  of 
padaroshnia ;  the  first  for  high  officials  and  couriers ;  the 
second  for  officers  on  ordinary  business ;  and  the  third  for 
civilian  travelers.  The  first  and  second  are  issued  free  to 
those  entitled  to  receive  them,  and  the  third  i^  purchased  at 
the  rate  of  half  a  copeck  a  verst.  These  papers  serve  the 
double  purpose  of  bringing  revenue  to  government  and  pre- 
venting unauthorized  persons  traveling  about  the  country. 
A  traveler  properly  provided  presents  his  papers  at  a  post- 
station  and  receives  horses  in  his  turn  according  to  the  char- 
acter of  his  documents. 

A  person  with  a  courier's  pass  is  never  detained  for  want 
of  animals ;  other  travelers  must  take  their  chance.  Of 
course  the  second  class  of  passport  precedes  the  third  by  an 
inflexible  rule.  Suppose  A  has  a  second  class  and  B  a  third 
class  padaroshnia.  A  reaches  a  station  and  finds  B  with  a 
team  ready  to  start.  If  there  are  no  more  horses  the  smo- 
tretal  (station  master)  detaches  the  animals  from  B's  vehicle 
and  supplies  them  to  A.  B  must  wait  until  he  can  be  served ; 
it  may  be  an  hour,  a  clay,  or  a  week. 

The  stations  are  kept  by  contract.  The  government  locates 
a  station  and  its  lessee  is  paid  a  stipulated  sum  each  year. 
He  agrees  to  keep  the  requisite  horses  and  drivers,  the  num- 
bers varying  according  to  the  importance  of  the  route.  He 
contracts  to  carry  the  post  each  way  from  his  station  to  the 
next,  the  price  for  this  service  being  included  in  the  annual 
payment.  He  must  keep  one  vehicle  and  three  horses  at  all 
times  ready  for  couriers.  Couriers,  officers,  and  travelers  of 
every  kind  pay  at  each  station  the  rate  fixed  by  law. 

In  Kamchatka  and  North  Eastern  Siberia  the  post  route  is 


256 


EQUIPMENT   OF   A    POST  ROUTE. 


equipped  with  dog-teams,  just  as  it  has  horses  in  more  south- 
erly latitudes.  In  the  northern  part  of  Yakutsk  the  reindeer 
is  used  for  postal  or  traveling  service.  A  padaroslmia  calls 
for  a  given  number  of  horses,  usually  three,  without  regard 
to  the  number  of  persons  traveling  upon  it.  Generally  the 
names  of  all  who  are  to  use  it  are  written  on  the  paper,  but 
this  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  Borasdine  had  a  padarosh- 
nia  and  so  had  I,  but  mine  was  not  needed  as  long  as  we  kept 
together. 

The  post  carriages  must  be  changed  at  every  station.  Con- 
stant changing  is  a  great  trouble,  especially  if  one  has  much 
baggage.  In  a  wet  or  cold  night  when  you  have  settled  com- 
fortably into  a  warm  nest,  and  possibly  fallen  asleep,  it  is  an 
intolerable  nuisance  to  turn  out  and  transfer.  To  remedy 
this  evil  one  can  buy  a  tarantass,  a  vehicle  on  the  general 
principle  of  the  telyaga,  but  larger,  stronger,  and  better  in 
every  way.  When  he  buys  there  is  a  scarcity  and  the  price 
is  high,  but  when  he  has  finished  his  journey  and  wishes  to 
sell,  it  is  astonishing  how  the  market  is  glutted.  At  Strat- 
ensk  I  endeavored  to  purchase  a  tarantass,  but  only  one  could 
be  had.  This  was  too  rheumatic  for  the  journey,  and  very 
groggy  in  the  springs,  so  at  the  advice  of  Lovett  I  adhered 
to  the  telyaga. 

The  Russians  apply  the  term  '  equipage'  to  any  vehicle, 
whether  on  wheels  or  runners,  and  with  or  without  its  motive 
power.  It  is  a  generic  definition,  and  can  include  anything 
drawn  by  horses,  dogs,  deer,  or  camels.  The  word  sounds 
very  well  when  applied  to  a  fashionable  turnout,  but  less  so 
when  speaking  of  a  dirt-cart  or  wheelbarrow. 

The  same  word,  '  equipage,'  is  used  in  Russian  as  in  French 
to  denote  a  ship's  crew.  In  this  connection  I  heard  an  amus- 
ing story,  vouched  for  as  correct.  A  few  years  after  the  dis- 
appearance of  Sir  John  Franklin  the  English  Admiralty  re- 
quested the  Russian  government  to  make  inquiries  for  the 
lost  navigator  along  the  coast  and  islands  of  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
An  order  to  that  effect  was  sent  to  the  Siberian  authorities, 
and  they  in  turn  commanded  all  subordinates  to  inquire  and 


THE   RULE   OF   THE  ROAD. 


257 


report.  A  petty  officer  some  where  in  Western  Siberia  was 
puzzled  at  the  printed  order  to  <  inquire  concerning  the  Eng- 
lish Captain,  John  Franklin,  and  his  equipage.'  In  due  time 
he  reported : 

"  I  have  made  the  proper  inquiries.  I  can  learn  nothing 
about  Captain  Franklin ;  but  in  one  of  my  villages  there  is 
an  old  sleigh  that  no  one  claims,  and  it  may  be  his  equipage." 

We  carried  one  and  sometimes  two  bells  on  the  yoke  of  our 
shaft-horse  to  signify  that  we  traveled  by  post.  Every  hum- 
bler vehicle  was  required  to  give  us  the  entire  road,  at  least 
such  was  the  theory.  Sometimes  we  obtained  it,  and  some- 
times the  approaching  drivers  were  asleep,  and  the  horses 
kept  their  own  way.  When  this  occurred  our  driver  general- 
ly took  an  opportunity  to  bring  his  whip  lash  upon  the  sleeper. 
It  is  a  privilege  he  enjoys  when  driving  a  post  carriage  to 
strike  his  delinquent  fellow  man  if  in  reach.  I  presume  this 
is  a  partial  consolation  for  the  kicks  and  blows  occasionally 
showered  upon  himself.  Humanity  in  authority  is  pretty  cer- 
tain to  give  others  the  treatment  itself  has  received.  Only 
great  natures  will  deal  charity  and  kindness  when  remember- 
ing oppression  and  cruelty. 

I  was  not  consulted  when  our  telyaga  was  built,  else  it 
would  have  been  wider  and  longer.  When  our  small  parcels 
were  arranged  inside  there  was  plenty  of  room  for  one  but 
hardly  enough  for  two.  Borasdine  and  I  were  of  equal  height, 
and  neither  measured  a  hair's  breadth  less  than  six  feet. 
When  packed  for  riding  I  came  in  questionable  shape,  my 
body  and  limbs  forming  a  geometric  figure  that  Euclid  never 
knew.  Notwithstanding  my  cramped  position  I  managed  to 
doze  a  little,  and  contemplated  an  essay  on  a  new  mode  of 
triangulation.  We  rattled  our  bones  over  the  stones  and 
frozen  earth,  and  dragged  and  dripped  through  the  mud  to 
the  first  station.  As  we  reached  the  establishment  our  Cos- 
sack and  driver  shouted  "  courier ! "  in  tones  that  soon 
brought  the  smotretal  and  his  attendants.  They  rubbed  their 
half-open  eyes  and  bestirred  themselves  to  bring  horses.  The 
word  '  courier '  invigorates  the  attaches  of  a  post  route,  as 
17 


258 


SIBERIAN  HORSES. 


they  well  know  that  the  bearer  of  a  courier's  pass  must  not 
be  delayed.  Ten  minutes  are  allowed  for  changing  a  cour- 
ier's horses,  and  the  change  is  often  made  in  six  or  eight 
minutes.  The  length  of  a  journey  depends  considerably 
upon  the  time  consumed  at  stations. 

Here  we  found  a  tarantass,  neither  new  nor  elegant,  but, 
strong  and  capacious.    We  hired  it  to  Nerchinsk,  and  our 


A  SIBERIAN  TARANTASS. 


Cossack  transferred  the  baggage  while  four  little  rats  of  po- 
nies were  being  harnessed.  The  harness  used  on  this  road 
was  a  combination  of  leather  and  hemp  in  about  equal  pro- 
portions. There  were  always  traces  of  ropes  more  or  less 
twisted.  It  is  judicious  to  carry  a  quantity  of  rope  in  one's 
vehicle  for  use  in  case  of  accident.  A  Russian  yemsliick 
(driver)  is  quite  skillful  in  repairing  breakages  if.  he  can  find 
enough  rope  for  his  purpose. 

The  horses,  like  many  other  terrestrial  things,  were  better 
than  they  appeared,  and  notwithstanding  the  bad  road  they 
carried  us  at  good  speed.  I  was  told  that  the  horses  between 
Stratensk  and  Lake  Baikal  were  strangers  to  corn  and  oats, 
and  not  over  familiar  with  hay.  Those  at  the  post  stations 
must  be  fed  in  the  stable,  but  nearly  all  others  hunt  their 
own  food.    In  summer  they  can  easily  do  this,  but  in  winter 


STUCK   IN   THE  MUD. 


259 


they  subsist  on  the  dry  grass  standing  on  the  hills  and 
prairies.  There  is  little  snow  in  this  region,  but  when  it  falls 
on  the  pastures  the  horses  scrape  it  away  to  reach  the  grass. 
They  are  never  blanketed  in  the  coldest  weather,  and  the 
only  brushing  they  receive  is  when  they  run  among  bushes. 

In  the  government  of  Yakutsk  there  are  many  horses  that 
find  their  own  living  in  winter  as  in  summer.  They  eat 
grass,  moss,  fish,  bushes,  and  sometimes  the  bark  of  trees. 
Captain  Wrangell  tells  of  the  great  endurance  of  these  beasts, 
and  says  that  like  all  other  animals  of  that  region  they  shed 
their  coats  in  the  middle  of  summer. 

At  the  second  station  the  smotretal  sought  our  horses 
among  the  village  peasants,  as  he  had  none  of  his  own.  He 
explained  that  a  high  official  had  passed  and  taken  the  horses 
usually  kept  for  the  courier.  This  did  not  satisfy  Borasdine, 
who  entered  complaint  in  the  regulation  book,  stating  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  affair.  At  every  station  there  is  a  book 
sealed  to  a  small  table  and  open  to  public  inspection.  An 
aggrieved  traveler  is  at  liberty  to  record  a  statement  of  his 
trouble.  At  regular  intervals  an  officer  investigates  the  af- 
fairs of  every  station.  Complaints  are  examined,  and  offences 
treated  according  to  their  character.  This  wholesome  regu- 
lation keeps  the  station  masters  in  proper  restraint. 

Day  had  fairly  opened  through  a  dense  fog  when  our  delay 
ended.  While  we  descended  a  long  hill  one  of  our  hinder 
wheels  parted  company  and  took  a  tangent  to  the  road  side. 
We  were  in  full  gallop  at  the  time,  but  did  not  keep  it  up 
long.  A  pole  from  a  neighboring  fence,  held  by  a  Pole  from 
Warsaw,  lifted  the  axle  so  that  the  wheel  could  be  replaced. 
I  assisted  by  leaving  the  carriage  and  standing  at  the  roadside 
till  all  was  ready.  We  had  some  doubts  about  the  vehicle 
holding  together  much  longer,  but  it  behaved  very  well.  The 
tarantass  is  a  marvel  of  endurance.  To  listen  to  the  creak- 
ing of  its  joints,  and  observe  its  air  of  infirmity,  lead  to  the 
belief  that  it  will  go  to  pieces  within  a  few  hours.  It  rattles 
and  groans  and  threatens  prompt  analysis,  but  some  how  it 


260  THE    VALLEY   OF   THE  NERTCHA. 

continues  cohesive  and  preserves  its  identity  hundreds  of 
miles  over  rough  roads. 

We  were  merciless  to  the  horses  as  they  were  not  ours  and 
we  were  in  a  hurry.  When  the  driver  allowed  them  to  lag, 
Borasdinc  ejaculated  *  poshol  ! '  with  a  great  deal  of  empha- 
sis and  much  effect.  This  word  is  like  '  faster'  in  English, 
and  is  learned  very  early  in  a  traveler's  career  in  Russia.  I. 
acquired  it  before  reaching  the  first  station  on  my  ride,  and 
could  use  it  very  skillfully.  In  the  same  connection  are  the 
words  ' droghV  ('touch up,')  ' shorey1  ('hurry,')  and  'stupie' 
('  go  ahead.')  All  these  commands  have  the  accent  upon  the 
last  syllable,  and  are  very  easy  to  the  vocal  organs.  I  learned 
them  all  and  often  used  them,  but  to  this  day  I  do  not  know 
the  Russian  word  for  6  slower.'  I  never  had  occasion  to  em- 
ploy it  while  in  the  empire,  except  once  when  thrown  down 
an  icy  slope  with  a  heap  of  broken  granite  at  its  base,  and  at 
another  time  when  a  couple  of  pretty  girls  were  standing  by 
the  roadside  and,  as  I  presumed,  wanted  to  look  at  me. 

From  Stratensk  to  Nerchinsk,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  our 
road  led  among  hills,  undulating  ground,  meadows,  and  strips 
of  steppe,  or  prairie,  sometimes  close  to  the  river,  and  again 
several  miles  away.  The  country  is  evidently  well  adapted 
to  agriculture,  the  condition  of  the  farms  and  villages  indi- 
cating prosperity.  I  saw  much  grain  in  stacks  or  gathered 
in  small  barns.  As  it  was  Sunday  no  work  was  in  progress, 
and  there  were  but  few  teams  in  motion  anywhere.  The 
roads  were  such  that  no  one  would  travel  for  pleasure,  and 
the  first  day  of  the  week  is  not  used  for  business  journeys. 

From  the  top  of  a  hill  I  looked  into  the  wide  and  beautiful 
valley  of  the  Nertcha,  which  enters  the  Shilka  from  the  north. 
On  its  left  bank  and  two  or  three  miles  from  its  mouth  is  the 
town  of  Nerchinsk  with  five  or  six  thousand  inhabitants. 
Its  situation  is  charming,  and  to  me  the  view  was  especially 
pleasing,  as  it  was  the  first  Russian  town  where  I  saw  evi- 
dences of  age  and  wealth.  The  domes  of  its  churches  glist- 
ened in  the  sunlight  that  had  broken  through  the  fog  and 
warmed  the  tints  of  the  whole  picture.    The  public  buildings 


ARRIVAL   AT  NERCHINSK. 


261 


and  many  private  residences  had  an  air  of  solidity.  Some 
of  the  merchants'  houses  would  be  no  discredit  to  New  York 
or  London.  The  approach  from  the  east  is  down  a  hill  slop- 
ing toward  the  banks  of  the  Nertcha. 

We  entered  the  gateway  of  Nerchinsk,  and  after  passing 
some  of  the  chief  buildings  drove  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Kapo- 
raki,  where  we  were  received  with  open  arms.  Borasdine 
and  his  acquaintance  kissed  affectionately,  and  after  their 
greeting  ended  I  was  introduced.  We  unloaded  from  the 
tarantass,  piled  our  baggage  in  the  hallway,  and  dismissed 
the  driver  with  the  borrowed  vehicle.  Almost  before  we 
were  out  of  our  wrappings  the  samovar  was  steaming,  and 
we  sat  down  to  a  comforting  breakfast,  with  abundance  of  tea. 
And  didn't  we  enjoy  it  after  riding  eight  or  ten  hours  over  a 
road  that  would  have  shaken  skim  mi  lk  into  butter  ?  You 
bet  we  did. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 


THE  heaviest  fortunes  at  Nerchinsk  have  been  made  in 
commerce  and  gold  mining,  principally  the  latter.  I 
met  one  man  reputed  to  possess  three  million  roubles,  and 
two  others  who  were  each  put  down  at  over  a  million.  Mr. 
Kaporaki,  our  host,  was  a  successful  gold  miner,  if  I  may 
judge  by  what  I  saw.  His  dwelling  was  an  edifice  somewhat 
resembling  Arlington  House,  but  without  its  signs  of  decay. 
The  principal  rooms  1  entered  were  his  library,  parlor,  and 
dining-room;  the  first  was  neat  and. cozy,  and  the  second 
elaborately  fitted  with  furniture  from  St.  Petersburg.  Both 
were  hung  with  pictures  and  paintings,  the  former  bearing 
French  imprints.  His  dining-room  was  in  keeping  with  the 
rest  of  the  establishment,  and  I  could  hardly  realize  that  I 
was  in  Siberia,  five  thousand  miles  from  the  Russian  capital 
and  nearly  half  that  distance  from  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The 
realization  was  more  difficult  when  our  host  named  a  variety 
of  wines  ready  for  our  use.  Would  we  take  sherry,  port,  or 
madicra,  or  would  we  prefer  Johannisberg,  Hockheimer,  or 
Verzenay  ?  Would  we  try  Yeuve  Cliquot,  or  Carte  d'Or  ?  A 
box  of  genuine  Havanas  stood  upon  his  library  table,  and  re- 
ceived our  polite  attention.  We  arrived  about  ten  in  the 
morning,  and  on  consenting  to  remain  till  afternoon  a  half 
dozen  merchants  were  invited  to  join  us  at  dinner. 

Mr.  Kaporaki's  gold  mines  were  on  the  tributaries  of  the 
Nertcha,  about  a  hundred  miles  away.  From  his  satisfied 
air  in  showing  specimens  and  figures  1  concluded  his  claims 
were  profitable.  The  mining  season  had  just  closed,  and  he 
was  footing  up  his  gains  and  losses  for  the  vear.    The  gold 

(262) 


TAX   ON   GOLD  MINING. 


263 


he  exhibited  was  in  coarse  scales,  with  occasional  nuggets, 
and  closely  resembled  the  product  1  saw  a  few  months  earlier 
of  some  washings  near  Mariposa. 

The  gold  on  the  Nertcha  and  its  tributaries  is  found  in  the 
sand  and  earth  that  form  the  bed  of  the  streams.  Often  it 
is  many  feet  deep  and  requires  much  *  stripping.'  I  heard  of 
one  priesk  (claim)  where  the  pay-dirt  commenced  sixty-five 
feet  from  the  surface.  Notwithstanding  the  great  expense 
of  removing  the  superincumbent  earth,  the  mine  had  been 
worked  to  a  profit.  Twenty  or  thirty  feet  of  earth  to  take 
away  is  by  no  means  uncommon.  The  pay-dirt  is  very  rich, 
and  the  estimates  of  its  yield  are  stated  at  so  many  zolotnihs 
of  gold  for  a  hundred  poods  of  earth.  From  one  pood  of 
dirt,  of  course  unusually  rich,  Mr.  Kaporaki  obtained  24  zo- 
lotniks,  or  three  ounces  of  gold.  In  another  instance  ten 
poods  of  dirt  yielded  90  zolotniks  of  gold.  The  ordinary 
yield,  as  near  as  I  could  ascertain,  was  what  a  Californian 
would  call  five  or  six  cents  to  the  pan. 

Each  of  these  merchant-miners  pays  to  the  government 
fifteen  per  cent,  of  all  gold  he  obtains,  and  is  not  allowed  to 
sell  the  dust  except  to  the  proper  officials.  He  delivers  his 
gold  and  receives  the  money  for  it  as  soon  as  it  is  melted  and 
assayed.  It  was  hinted  to  me  that  much  gold  was  smuggled 
across  the  frontier  into  China,  and  never  saw  the  treasury  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Czar.  The  Cossacks  of  the  Argoon 
keep  a  sharp  watch  for  traffic  of  this  kind.  "  They  either," 
said  my  informant,  "  deliver  a  culprit  over  to  justice  or,  what 
is  the  same  thing,  compel  him  to  bribe  them  heavily  to  say 
nothing." 

Nerchinsk  formerly  stood  at  the  junction  of  the  Nertcha 
and  Shilka,  on  the  banks  of  both  rivers,  but  the  repeated 
damage  from  floods  caused  its  removal.  Even  on  its  present 
site  it  is  not  entirely  safe  from  inundation,  the  lower  part  of 
the  town  having  been  twice  under  water  and  in  danger  of 
being  washed  away. 

Many  of  the  present  inhabitants  are  exiles  or  the  descend- 
ants of  exiles,  Nerchinsk  having  been  a  place  of  banishment 


264 


EXILES   IN   THE  MINES. 


for  political  and  criminal  offenders  during  the  last  hundred 
years.  Those  condemned  to  work  in  the  mines  were  sent  to 
Great  Nerchinsk  Zavod,  about  two  hundred  miles  away.  The 
town  was  the  center  of  the  military  and  mining  district,  and 
formerly  had  more  importance  than  at  present.  Many  par- 
ticipants in  the  insurrection  of  1825  were  sent  there,  among 
them  the  princes  Trubetskoi  and  Volbonskoi.  After  laboring 
in  the  mines  and  on  the  roads  of  Nerchinsk,  they  were  sent 
to  Chetah,  where  they  were  employed  in  a  polishing  mill. 

In  many  stories  about  Siberian  exiles,  published  in  England 
and  America,  Nerchinsk  has  occupied  a  prominent  position. 
As  far  as  I  could  observe  it  is  not  a  place  of  perpetual  frost 
and  snow,  its  summers  being  warm  though  brief.  In  winter 
it  has  cold  winds  blowing  occasionally  from  the  Yablonoi 
mountains  down  the  valley  of  the  Nertcha.  The  region  is 
very  well  adapted  to  agriculture,  and  the  valley  as  I  saw  it 
had  an  attractive  appearance. 

The  product  of  the  Nerchinsk  mines  has  been  silver,  gold, 
and  lead.  The  search  for  silver  and  lead  has  diminished 
since  the  mines  were  opened  to  private  enterprise.  At  one 
time  40,000  poods  of  lead  were  produced  here  annually,  most 
of  it  being  sent  to  the  Altai  mountains  to  be  employed  in  re- 
ducing silver.  In  most  places  where  explored  the  country  is 
rich  in  gold,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  thorough  prospect- 
ing would  reveal  many  placers  equaling  the  best  of  those  in 
California. 

Very  few  exiles  are  now  sent  to  Nerchinsk  in  comparison 
with  the  numbers  formerly  banished  there.  Under  the  reign 
of  Nicholas  and  his  father  Nerchinsk  received  its  greatest 
accessions,  the  Polish  revolutions  and  the  revolt  of  1825  con- 
tributing largely  to  its  population.  Places  of  exile  have  al- 
ways been  selected  with  relation  to  the  offence  and  character 
of  the  prisoners.  The  worst  offenders,  either  political  or 
criminal,  were  generally  sent  to  the  mines  of  Nerchinsk, 
their  terms  of  service  varying  from  two  to  twenty  years,  or 
for  life.  I  was  told  that  the  longest  sentence  now  given  is 
for  twenty  years.    The  condition  of  prisoners  in  former  times 


STORIES   OF  CRUELTY. 


265 


was  doubtless  bad,  and  there  are  many  stories  of  cruelty  and 
extortion  practiced  by  keepers  and  commandants.  The 
dwellings  of  prisoners  were  frequently  no  better  than  the 
huts  of  savages ;  their  food  and  clothing  were  poor  and  in- 
sufficient ;  they  were  compelled  to  labor  in  half  frozen  mud 
and  water  for  twelve  or  fourteen  hours  daily,  and  beaten 
when  they  faltered. 

The  treatment  of  prisoners  depended  greatly  upon  the 
character  of  the  commandant  of  the  mines.  Of  the  brutal- 
ity of  some  officials  and  the  kindness  of  others  there  can  be 
little  doubt.  We  have  sufficient  proof  of  the  varied  qualities 
of  the  human  heart  in  the  conduct  of  prison-keepers  in 
America  during  our  late  war.  There  have  been  many  exag- 
gerations concerning  the  treatment  of  exiles.  I  do  not  say 
there  has  been  no  cruelty,  but  that  less  has  occurred  than 
some  writers  would  have  us  believe.  Before  leaving  America 
I  read  of  the  rigorous  manner  in  which  the  sentence  of  the 
conspirators  of  1825  was  carried  out.  According  to  one  au- 
thority the  men  were  loaded  with  chains  and  compelled  to 
the  hardest  labor  in  the  mines  under  relentless  overseers. 
They  were  badly  lodged,  fed  with  insufficient  food,  and  when 
ill  had  little  or  no  medical  treatment. 

Nearly  all  these  unfortunates  were  of  noble  families  and 
never  performed  manual  labor  before  reaching  the  mines. 
They  had  been  tenderly  reared,  and  were  mostly  young  and 
unused  to  the  hardships  of  life  outside  the  capitals.  Thrust 
at  once  into  the  mines  of  Siberia  they  could  hardly  survive  a 
lengthened  period  of  the  cruelty  alleged.  Most  of  them 
served  out  their  sentences  and  retained  their  health.  Some 
returned  to  Europe  after  more  than  thirty  years  exile,  and  a 
fe#  were  living  in  Siberia  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  forty-one 
years  after  their  banishment.  I  conclude  they  were  either 
blessed  with  more  than  iron  constitutions,  or  there  is  some 
mistake  in  the  account  of  their  suffering  and  privation. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  escape  from  these  mines, 
but  very  few  were  completely  successful.  Some  prisoners 
crossed  into  China  after  dodging  the  vigilant  Cossacks  on  the 


266 


AN   ADVENTUROUS  JOURNEY. 


frontier,  but  they  generally  perished  in  the  deserts  of  Mon- 
golia, either  by  starvation  or  at  the  hands  of  the  natives.  I 
have  heard  of  two  who  reached  the  Gulf  of  Pecheli  after 
many  hardships,  where  they  captured  a  Chinese  fishing  boat 
and  put  to  sea.  When  almost  dead  of  starvation  they  were 
picked  up  by  an  English  barque  and  carried  to  Shanghae, 
where  the  foreign  merchants  supplied  them  with  money  to 
find  their  way  to  Paris. 

A  better  route  than  this  was  by  the  Amoor,  before  it  was 
open  to  Russian  navigation.  Many  who  escaped  this  way 
lost  their  -lives,  but  others  reached  the  seacoast  where  they 
were  picked  up  by  whalers  or  other  transient  ships.  In  1844 
three  men  started  for  the  Ohotsk  sea,  traveling  by  way  of  the 
Yablonoi  mountains.  They  had  managed  to  obtain  a  rifle, 
and  subsisted  upon  game  they  killed,  and  upon  berries,  roots, 
and  the  bark  of  trees.  They  escaped  from  the  mines  about 
midsummer,  and  hoped  by  rapid  travel  to  reach  the  coast  be- 
fore winter  overtook  them. 

One  of  the  men  was  killed  by  falling  from  a  rock  during 
the  first  month  of  the  journey.  The  others  buried  their  dead 
companion  as  best  they  could,  marking  his  grave  with  a  cross, 
though  with  no  expectation  it  would  again  be  seen  by  human 
eyes.  Traversing  the  mountains  and  reaching  the  tributaries 
of  the  Aldan  river,  they  found  their  hardships  commencing. 
The  country  was  rough  and  game  scarce,  so  that  the  fugitives 
were  exhausted  by  fatigue  and  hunger.  They  traveled  for  a 
time  with  the  wandering  Tunguze  of  this  region,  and  were 
caught  by  the  early  snows  of  winter  when  the  coast  was  still 
two  hundred  miles  away.  They  determined  to  wait  until 
spring  before  crossing  the  mountains.  Unluckily  while  with 
the  Tunguze  they  were  seen  by  a  Russian  merchant,  who1  in- 
formed the  authorities.  Early  in  the  spring  they  were  cap- 
tured and  returned  to  their  place  of  imprisonment. 

The  region  around  the  Yablonoi  mountains  is  so  desolate 
that  escape  in  that  direction  is  almost  impossible.  By  way 
of  the  post  route  to  Lake  Baikal  it  is  equally  difficult,  as  the 
road  is  carefully  watched  and  there  are  few  habitations  away 


HOW    A    POLE  ESCAPED. 


26T 


from  the  post  villages  and  stations.  No  one  can  travel  by 
post  without  a  padaroshnia,  and  this  can  only  be  procured  at 
the  chief  towns  and  is  not  issued  to  an  unknown  applicant. 

I  heard  a  story  of  a  young  Pole  who  attempted,  some  years 
ago,  to  escape  from  exile.  He  was  teacher  in  a  private 
family  and  passed  his  evenings  in  gambling.  At  one  time  he 
was  very  successful  at  cards,  and  gained  in  a  single  week 
three  thousand  roubles.  With  this  capital  he  arranged  a 
plan  of  escape. 

By  some  means  he  procured  a  padaroshnia,  not  in  his  own 
name,  and  announced  his  intention  to  visit  his  friends  a  few 
miles  away.  As  he  did  not  return  promptly  search  was  made, 
and  it  was  found  that  a  person  answering  his  description  had 
started  toward  Lake  Baikal.  Pursuit  naturally  turned  in 
that  direction,  exactly  opposite  to  his  real  course  of  flight. 
He  traveled  by  post  with  his  padaroshnia  and  reached  the 
vicinity  of  Omsk  without  difficulty.  Very  injudiciously  he 
quarreled  with  the  drivers  at  a  post  station  about  the  pay- 
ment of  ten  copecks,  which  he  alleged  was  an  overcharge. 
The  padaroshnia  was  examined  in  consequence  of  the  quarrel 
and  found  applicable  to  a  Russian  merchant  of  the  third  class, 
and  not  for  a  nobleman,  which  he  claimed  to  be. 

The  station-master  arrested  the  traveler  and  sent  him  to 
Omsk,  when  his  real  character  was  ascertained.  On  the 
third  day  of  captivity  he  bribed  his  guards  and  escaped  dur- 
ing the  night.  He  remained  free  more  than  a  month,  but 
was  finally  recaptured  and  sent  to  Irkutsk. 

At  Nerchinsk  I  resumed  my  efforts  to  purchase  a  tarantass, 
but  my  investigations  showed  the  Nerchinsk  market  4  out'  of 
everything  in  the  tarantass  line  and  no  promise  of  a  new 
crop.  Fortune  and  Kaporaki  favored  me,  and  found  a  suit- 
able vehicle  that  I  could  borrow  for  the  journey  to  Irkutsk. 
I  was  to  answer  for  its  safety  and  deliver  it  to  a  designated 
party  on  my  arrival  there. 

The  regulations  did  not  permit,  or  at  least  encourage, 
Borasdine  to  invest  in  vehicles.  A  courier  is  expected,  un- 
less in  winter,  to  travel  by  the  post  carriages.    All  breakages 


268 


FINDING   A  TARANTASS. 


in  that  case  are  at  the  expense  of  government,  with  the  pos- 
sible exception  of  the  courier's  bones  and  head.  If  a  carriage 
breaks  down  he  takes  another  and  leaves  the  wreck  for  the 
station  men  to  pick  up.  If  he  should  buy  a  tarantass  and  it 
gave  out  he  would  be  forced  to  leave  it  till  he  came  again,  or 
sell  it  at  any  price  offered.  Nothing  that  relates  to  his  per- 
sonal comfort  is  allowed  to  detain  a  courier.  He  can  stop 
only  for  change  of  team,  hasty  meals,  and  when  leaving  or 
taking  despatches  on  his  route.  Sometimes  a  river  gets  high 
and  refuses  to  respect  his  padaroshnia,  or  a  severe  and  blind- 
ing storm  stops  all  travel.  A  courier's  pass  is  supposed  to 
command  everything  short  of  the  elements,  and  I  have  a 
suspicion  that  some  Russians  believe  it  powerful  with  the 
elements. 

A  courier  ought  to  travel  with  only  his  baggage  and  ser- 
vant, the  former  not  exceeding  200  pounds.  Borasdine  had 
Cossack  and  baggage  in  proper  quantity ;  adding  me  and  my 
impedimenta,  he  was  hardly  in  light  moving  order.  I  sug- 
gested that  he  drop  me  and  I  would  trust  to  luck  and  my 
padaroshnia.  I  had  confidence  in  the  good  nature  of  the 
Russians  and  my  limited  knowledge  of  the  language.  I 
could  exhibit  my  papers,  ask  for  horses,  say  I  was  hungry, 
and  was  perfectly  confident  I  could  pay  out  money  as  long  as 
it  lasted.  But  my  companion  replied  that  an  extra  day  on 
the  route  would  make  no  difference  in  his  catching  the  boat 
to  cross  Lake  Baikal,  and  we  would  remain  together  until 
new  difficulties  arose. 

Having  dined  we  visited  the  post-station  and  ordered  horses 
sent  to  the  house  of  our  host.  The  servants  filled  our  taran- 
tass with  baggage,  while  their  master  filled  us  with  cham- 
pagne. The  vehicle  displayed  the  best  carrying  capacity,  as 
it  had  room  for  more  when  our  hearts  were  too  full  for  utter- 
ance, save  in  a  half  breathed  sigh. 

We  rattled  out  of  Kaporaki's  yard  and  down  to  the  Nert- 
cha,  where  we  had  a  ferry-boat  like  the  one  at  Stratensk, 
though  a  little  larger.  The  horses  were  detached  and  re- 
mained on  the  bank  until  the  tarantass  was  safely  on  board. 


A   BAD  ROAD. 


269 


There  was  not  much  room  for  them,  but  they  managed  to 
find  standing  places. 

By  the  time  we  were  over  the  river  it  was  night,  and  the 
sentinel  stars  had  set  their  watch  in  the  sky.  We  found  the 
road  an  unpleasant  combination  of  snow,  dirt,  and  water. 
We  had  four  weak  little  horses,  and  the  driver  told  us  they 
had  made  one  journey  to  the  station  and  back  again  since 
morning. 

In  the  Russian  posting  system  the  horses  carry  loads  only 
one  way.  The  driver  takes  your  vehicle  to  the  station,  where 
he  is  allowed  to  rest  himself  and  horses  one  hour  and  then 
starts  on  his  return.  In  ordinary  seasons  when  the  traveling 
is  good,  each  team  of  horses  will  make  two  round  trips  in 
twenty-four  hours.  This  gives  them  from  fifty  to  seventy 
miles  daily  travel,  half  of  it  without  load  and  at  a  gentle 
pace. 

After  the  third  station  the  road  improved,  the  snow  and 
mud  diminishing  and  leaving  a  comparatively  dry  track. 
The  stations  were  generally  so  uncomfortably  hot  as  to  put 
me  in  a  perspiration,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  out  of  doors. 
The  tempera- 
ture was  about 
70°  Fahrenheit, 
and  the  air  at 
night  contained 
odors  from  the 
breath  and 
boots  of  dor- 
mant moujiks. 
The  men  sleep 
on  the  floor  and 
benches, but  the 
top  of  the  stove 
is  the  favorite 

couch.  The  stove  is  of  brick  as  already  described,  and  its 
upper  surface  is  frequently  as  wide  as  a  common  bed.  Some- 
times the  caloric  is  a  trifle  abundant,  but  I  have  rarely  known 
it  complained  of. 


FAVORITE  BED. 


270 


ENDURING   SUDDEN  CHANGES. 


I  could  never  clearly  understand  the  readiness  and  ability 
of  the  Russians  to  endure  contrasts  of  heat  and  cold  with  ut- 
ter complacence  and  without  apparent  ill  effect.  I  have  seen 
a  yemshick  roused  at  midnight  from  the  top  of  a  stove  where 
he  was  sleeping  in  a  temperature  of  eighty-five  or  ninety  de- 
grees. He  made  his  toilet  by  tightening  his  waist-belt  and 
putting  on  his  boots.  When  the  horses  were  ready  he  don- 
ned his  cap  and  extra  coat,  thrust  his  hands  into  mittens,  and 
mounted  the  front  of  a  sleigh.  The  cold  would  be  anywhere 
from  ten  to  fifty  degrees  below  zero,  but  the  man  rarely  ap- 
peared to  suffer.  In  severe  weather  I  hesitated  to  enter  the 
stations  on  account  of  the  different  temperature  of  the  house 
and  the  open  air,  but  the  Russians  did  not  seem  to  mind  the 
sudden  changes. 

All  natives  of  Northern  Siberia  subject  themselves  without 
inconvenience  to  extremes  of  heat  and  cold.  Major  Abasa 
told  me  that  when  the  cold  was  40°  below  zero  he  had  found 
the  Koriaks  in  their  yourts  with  a  temperature  75°  above. 
They  passed  from  one  to  the  other  without  a  change  of  cloth- 
ing and  without  perspiring.  At  night  they  ordinarily  slept 
in  their  warm  dwellings,  but  when  traveling  they  rested  in 
the  snow  under  the  open  sky.  In  his  exploration  around 
Penjinsk  Gulf  the  major  saw  a  woman  sleep  night  after  night 
on  the  snow  in  the  coldest  weather  with  no  covering  but  the 
clothing  she  wore  in  the  day.  She  would  have  slept  equally 
well  if  transferred  to  a  hot  room. 

The  Yakuts  and  Tunguze  are  equally  hardy.  Captain 
Wrangell  gives  examples  of  their  endurance,  especially  of 
living  in  warm  rooms  or  sleeping  on  the  ice  at  a  low  tempera- 
ture. Captain  Cochrane,  the  English  Pedestrian,  had  a  won- 
derful experience  with  some  natives  that  guided  him  from  the 
Lena  to  the  Kolyma.  Though  the  Captain  was  an  old  travel- 
er and  could  support  much  cold  and  fatigue,  he  was  greatly 
outdone  by  his  guides.  He  could  never  easily  accommodate 
himself  to  wide  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  and  I  believe  this 
is  the  experience  of  nearly  all  persons  not  born  and  reared 
under  a  northern  sky. 


A    WONDERFUL  FLORA. 


271 


The  road  from  Nerchinsk  to  Chetah  is  through  an  undulat- 
ing country,  the  hills  in  many  places  being  high  enough  to 
merit  the  name  of  mountains.  Sometimes  we  followed  the 
valley  of  the  Ingodah,  and  again  we  left  it  to  wind  over  the 
hills  and  far  away  where  the  bluffs  prevented  our  keeping- 
near  the  stream.  When  we  looked  upon  the  river  from  these 
mountains  the  scene  was  beautiful,  and  I  shall  long  retain 
my  impression  of  the  loveliness  of  the  Ingodah.  Mr.  Collins 
described  this  valley  nine  years  before  me,  and  with  one  ex- 
ception I  can  confirm  all  he  said  of  its  charms.  He  had  the 
good  fortune  to  travel  in  spring  when  the  flowers  were  in 
bloom,  whereas  my  journey  was  late  in  autumn.  My  English 
friend  at  Stratensk  spoke  of  this  particular  feature  of  the 
country,  and  described  the  thick  carpet  of  blossoms  that  in 
some  places  almost  hid  the  grass  from  view.  To  compensate 
for  the  long  and  dreary  winter  Nature  spreads  her  floral 
beauties  with  lavish  hand,  and  converts  the  once  ice-bound 
region  into  a  landscape  of  beautiful  and  fragrant  flowers. 

The  valley  is  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  villages  and  farm 
houses  being  frequent.  The  road  was  excellent,  wide,  and 
well  made ;  much  labor  had  been  expended  upon  it  during 
the  last  two  years.  Its  up  and  down-ishness  was  not  to  my 
liking,  as  the  horses  utterly  refused  to  gallop  in  ascending 
hills  a  mile  or  two  long.  The  descent  was  less  difficult,  but 
unfortunately  we  could  not  have  it  all  descent.  We  had 
equal  quantities  of  rising  and  falling,  with  the  difference 
against  us  that  we  were  ascending  the  valley.  Fortunately 
the  road  was  dry  and  in  some  places  we  found  it  dusty. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  halted  for  dinner,  ordering  the 
samovar  almost  before  we  stopped  the  tarantass.  We  ordered 
eggs  and  bread,  and  in  hopes  of  something  substantial  Bor- 
asdine  consulted  the  mistress  of  the  house.  He  returned 
with  disgust  pictured  on  his  countenance. 

"  Have  they  anything  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Nothing." 

"Nothing  at  all?" 

"  No  ;  nothing  but  mutton." 


272 


HOPELESSLY  STUCK. 


Nothing  but  mutton !  I  was  entirely  reconciled.  When 
it  came  I  made  a  fine  dinner,  but  he  took  very  little  of  it. 
There  are  great  flocks  of  sheep  belonging  to  the  Bouriats  in 
Eastern  Siberia,  and  they  form  the  chief  support  of  that  peo- 
ple. Curiously  enough  the  Russians  rarely  eat  mutton, 
though  so  abundant  around  them.  Borasdine  told  me  it  sel- 
dom appeared  on  a  Siberian  table,  and  I  observed  that  both 
nobles  and  peasants  agreed  in  disliking  it.  While  at  dinner 
we  caught  sight  of  a  pretty  face  and  figure,  more  to  my  fel- 
low traveler's  taste  than  the  piece  de  resistance  of  our  meal. 

After  dinner  we  passed  over  a  hill  and  entered  a  level 
region  where  we  found  plenty  of  mud.  About  midnight  the 
yemshick  exhibited  his  skill  by  driving  into  a  mudhole  where 
there  was  solid  ground  on  both  sides.  We  were  hopelessly 
stuck,  and  all  our  cries  and  utterances  were  of  no  avail. 
The  Cossack  and  the  driver  could  accomplish  nothing,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  descend  from  the  carriage.  We  required 
our  subordinates  to  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheels,  though 
the  operation  covered  them  with  mud.  While  they  lifted  we 
shouted  to  the  horses,  Borasdine  in  Russian  and  I  in  French 
and  English. 

Twenty  minutes  of  this  toil  accomplished  nothing.  Then  we 
unloaded  all  our  baggage  down  to  the  smallest  articles.  An- 
other effort  and  we  were  still  in  our  slough  of  despond.  I 
retreated  to  a  neighboring  fence  and  returned  with  a  stout 
pole.  The  Cossack  brought  another,  and  we  arranged  to  lift 
the  fore  wheels  to  somewhere  near  the  surface.  It  was  my 
duty  to  urge  the  horses,  and  I  flattered  myself  that  I  per- 
formed it. 

I  had  the  driver's  whip  to  assist  my  utterance  ;  the  others 
lifted,  while  I  struck  and  shouted.  We  had  a  long  pull,  a 
strong  pull,  and  a  pull  all  together,  and  pulled  out  of  the 
depths.  I  attributed  no  small  part  of  the  success  to  the  ef- 
fect of  American  horse-vocabulary  upon  Russian  quadrupeds. 
When  we  reloaded  it  was  refreshing  to  observe  the  care  with 
which  the  Cossack  had  placed  our  pillows  on  the  wet  ground 
and  piled  heavy  baggage  over  them.    Borasdine  expressed 


HABITS   OP   SIBERIAN    DRIVERS.  273 


his  objection  to  tins  plan  in  such  form  that  the  Cossack  was 
not  likely  to  repeat  the  operation. 

The  motion  of  the  tarantass,  especially  its  jolting  over  the 
rough  parts  of  the  route,  gave  me  a  violent  headache,  the 


CONCENTRATED  ENERGIES. 


worst  I  ever  experienced.  The  journey  commenced  too 
abruptly  for  my  system  to  be  reconciled  without  complaint. 
Nearly  four  months  I  had  been  almost  constantly  on  ships 
and  steamboats,  all  my  land  riding  in  that  time  not  amount- 
ing to  thirty  miles.  I  came,  ashore  at  Stratensk  and  began 
travel  with  a  Russian  courier  over  Siberian  roads  at  the  worst 
season  of  the  year.  It  was  like  leaving  the  comforts  of  a 
Fifth  Avenue  parlor  to  engage  in  wood-sawing.  At  every 
bound  of  the  vehicle  my  brain  seemed  ready  to  burst,  and  I 
certainly  .should  have  halted  had  we  not  intended  delaying  at 
Chetah. 

A  Russian  yemshick  centers  his  whole  duty  in  driving  his 
team.    He  gives  no  thought  to  the  carriage  or  the  persons 

18 


274      "five  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

inside  ;  they  must  look  out  for  their  own  interest.  Let  him 
come  to  a  hill,  rough  or  smooth,  rocky  or  gravelly,  provided 
there  be  no  actual  danger,  he  descends  at  his  best  speed. 
Sometimes  the  horses  trot,  and  again  they  gallop  down  a  long 
slope.  Near  the  bottom  they  set  out  on  a  full  run,  as  if  pur- 
sued by  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves.  They  dash  down  the  hill, 
across  the  hollow,  and  part  way  up  the  opposite  ascent  with- 
out slacking  speed.  The  carriage  leaps,  bumps,  and  rattles, 
and  the  contents,  animate  or  inanimate,  are  tossed  violently. 
If  there  is  a  log  bridge  in  the  hollow  the  effect  is  more  than 
electric.  The  driver  does  not  even  turn  his  head  to  regard 
his  passengers.  If  the  carriage  holds  together  and  follows  it 
is  all  that  concerns  him. 

At  first  I  was  not  altogether  enamored  of  this  practice. 
But  as  I  never  suffered  actual  injury  and  the  carriages  en- 
dured their  rough  treatment,  I  came  in  time  to  like  it.  As 
a  class  the  Russian  yemshicks  are  excellent  drivers,  and  in 
riding  behind  more  than  three  hundred  of  them  I  had  abund- 
ant opportunity  to  observe  their  skill  They  are  not  always 
intelligent  and  quick  to  devise  plans  in  emergencies,  but  they 
are  faithful  and  know  the  duties  of  their  profession.  For 
speed  and  safety  I  would  sooner  place  myself  in  their  hands 
than  behind  professional  drivers  in  New  York.  They  know 
the  rules  of  the  road,  the  strength  and  speed  of  their  horses, 
and  are  almost  uniformly  good  natured. 

We  reached  Chetah  at  five  in  the  morning  and  roused  the 
inmates  of  the  only  hotel.  The  sleepy  chelavek  showed  us  to 
a  room  containing  two  chairs,  two  tables,  and  a  dirty  sofa. 
The  Cossack  brought  our  baggage  from  the  tarantass,  and  we 
endeavored  to  sleep.  When  we  rose  Borasdine  went  to  call 
upon  the  governor  while  I  ordered  breakfast  on  my  own  ac- 
count. Summoning  the  chelavek  I  began,  "  Dai  samovar,  chi, 
saher  e  Melib"  (give  the  samovar,  tea,  bread,  and  sugar.) 
This  accomplished,  I  procured  beefsteaks  and  potatoes  with- 
out difficulty.  I  spoke  the  language  of  the  country  in  a  frag- 
mentary way,  but  am  certain  my  Russian  was  not  half  as 
bad  as  the  beefsteak. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CHETAH  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Ingodah,  nearly 
three  hundred  miles  above  Stratensk,  and  is  the  capital 
of  the  Trans-Baikal  province.  For  many  years  it  was  a 
small  town  with  a  few  hundred  inhabitants,  but  the  opening 
of  the  Amoor  in  1854  changed  its  character.  Below  this 
point  the  Ingodah  is  navigable  for  boats  and  rafts,  and  dur- 
ing the  early  years  of  the  Amoor  occupation  much  material 
was  floated  down  from  Chetah.  In  1866  its  population,  in- 
cluding the  garrison,  was  about  five  thousand.  Many  houses 
were  large  and  well  fitted,  and  all  were  of  wood.  The  offi- 
cers lived  comfortably,  but  complained  of  high  rents. 

The  governor's  mansion  is  the  largest  and  best,  and  near  it 
is  the  club-house  where  weekly  soirees  are  held.  I  attended 
one  of  these  and  found  a  pleasant  party.  There  was  music 
and  dancing,  tea-drinking  and  card-playing,  gossip  and  silence 
at  varied  and  irregular  intervals.  Some  of  the  officers  read 
selections  from  Russian  authors,  and  others  recited  pieces  of 
prose  and  poetry.  There  were  dialogues,  evidently  humorous 
to  judge  by  the  mirth  they  produced,  and  there  was  a  paper 
containing  original  contributions.  The  association  appeared 
prosperous,  and  I  was  told  that  its  literary  features  were 
largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  governor. 

There  is  a  gastinni-dvor  or  row  of  shops  and  a  market-place 
surrounded  with  huckster's  stalls,  much  like  those  near  Ful- 
ton Ferry.  Desiring  to  replace  a  broken  watch-key  I  found 
a  repair  shop  and  endeavored  to  make  my  inquiries  in  Rus- 
sian. "  Monsieur  parle  le  Francais,  je  crois"  was  the  re- 
sponse to  my  attempt,  and  greatly  facilitated  the  transaction 

(275) 


276 


PRISONERS   IN   THE  STREETS. 


of  business.  Before  I  left  New  York  an  acquaintance  showed 
me  a  photograph  of  a  Siberian,  who  proved  to  be  the  watch- 
maker thus  encountered 

Walking  about  the  streets  I  saw  many  prisoners  at  work 
under  guard,  most  of  them  wearing  fetters.  Though  1  be- 
came accustomed  during  my  Siberian  travels  to  the  sight  of 
chains  on  men,  I  could  never  hear  their  clanking  without  a 
shudder,  The  chains  worn  by  a  prisoner  were  attached  at 
one  end  to  bands  enclosing  his  ankles  and  at  the  other  to  a 
belt  around  his  waist.    The  sound  of  these  chains  as  the  men 


PRISONERS  AT  CHETAH. 


walked  about  was  one  of  the  most  disagreeable  I  ever  heard, 
and  I  was  glad  to  observe  that  the  Russians  did  not  appear 
to  admire  it.  The  prisoners  at  Chetah  were  laboring  on  the 
streets,  preparing  logs  for  house-brtilding,  or  erecting  fences. 
Most  of  the  working  parties  were  under  guard,  but  the  over- 
seers did  not  appear  to  push  them  severely.  Some  were  tak- 
ing it  very  leisurely  and  moved  as  if  endeavoring  to  do  as 
little  as  possible  in  their  hours  of  work.  I  was  told  that  they 
were  employed  on  the  eight  hour  system.  Their  dress  was 
coarse  and  rough,  like  that  of  the  peasants,  but  had  no  marks 
to  show  that  its  wearer  was  a  prisoner. 

There  were  between  three  and  four  thousand  prisoners  in 
the  province  of  the  Trans-Baikal.    About  one-sixth  of  them 


QUICK   INSTRUCTION   IN   MUSIC.  277 

were  at  Chetah  and  in  its  vicinity.  The  prisoners  were  of 
two  classes — political  and  criminal — and  their  punishment 
varied  according  to  their  offence.  Some  were  sentenced  to 
labor  in  chains,  and  others  to  labor  without  chains.  Some 
could  not  go  out  without  a  guard,  while  others  had  more  free- 
dom. Some  were  sentenced  to  work  in  prison  and  others 
were  imprisoned  without  labor.  Some  were  exiled  to  Siberia 
but  enjoyed  the  liberty  of  a  province,  a  particular  district,  or 
a  designated  town  or  village.  Some  were  allowed  a  certain 
amount  of  rations  and  others  supported  themselves.  In  fact 
there  were  all  grades  of  prisoners,  just  as  we  have  all  grades 
in  our  penitentiaries. 

The  Polish  revolution  in  1863  sent  many  exiles  to  the 
country  east  of  Lake  Baikal.  Among  the  prisoners  at  the 
time  of  my  journey  there  was  a  Colonel  Zyklinski  confined  in 
prison  at  a  village  north  of  Chetah.  He  had  a  prominent 
part  in  the  Polish  troubles,  and  was  captured  at  the  surrender 
of  the  armies.  He  served  in  America  under  M'Clellan  dur- 
ing the  Peninsular  campaign,  and  was  in  regular  receipt  of  a 
pension  from  our  government. 

The  Trans-Baikal  Province  is  governed  by  Major  General 
Ditmar,  to  whom  I  brought  letters  of  introduction.  When 
Borasdine  returned  from  his  visit  he  brought  invitation  to 
transfer  our  quarters  to  the  gubernatorial  mansion,  where  we 
went  and  met  the  governor.  I  found  him  an  agreeable  gen- 
tleman, speaking  French  fluently,  and  regretting  the  absence 
of  Madame  Ditmar,  in  whose  praise  many  persons  had  spoken. 
At  dinner  I  met  about  twenty  persons,  of  whom  more  than 
half  spoke  French  and  two  or  three  English. 

A  military  band  occupied  the  gallery  over  the  dining-room. 
•  When  General  Ditmar  proposed  "  the  United  States  of  Ame- 
rica/' my  ears  were  greeted  with  one  of  our  national  airs. 
It  was  well  played,  and  when  I  said  so  they  told  me  its  his- 
tory. On  hearing  of  my  arrival  the  governor  summoned  his 
chief  musician  and  asked  if  he  knew  any  American  music. 
The  reply  was  in  the  negative.    The  governor  then  sent  the 


278 


COLD   CLIMATE   BUT   NO  SNOW. 


band-master  to  search  his  books.  He  soon  returned,  saying 
he  had  found  the  notes  of  "  Hail  Columbia." 

"Is  that  the  only  American  tune  you  have?"  asked  the 
general. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Have  your  band  learn  to  play  it  by  dinner  time." 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  American  music  accom- 
panied the  first  regular  toast.  It  was  repeated  at  the  club- 
rooms  and  on  two  or  three  other  occasions  during  my  stay  in 
Chetah,  and  though  learned  so  hastily  it  was  performed  as 
well  as  by  any  ordinary  band  in  our  army. 

The  principal  rooms  in  General  Ditmar's  house  had  a  pro- 
fusion of  green  plants  in  pots  and  tubs  of  different  sizes. 
One  apartment  in  particular  seemed  more  like  a  greenhouse 
than  a  room  where  people  dwelt.  Whether  so  much  vegeta- 
tion in  the  houses  affects  the  health  of  the  people  I  am  un- 
able to  say,  but  I  could  not  ascertain  that  it  did.  The  custom 
of  cultivating  plants  in  the  dwellings  prevails  through  Sibe- 
ria, especially  in  the  towns.  I  frequently  found  bushes  like 
small  trees  growing  in  tubs,  and  I  have  in  mind  several 
houses  where  the  plants  formed  a  continuous  line  half  around 
the  walls  of  the  principal  rooms.  The  devotion  to  floricul- 
ture among  the  Siberians  has  its  chief  impulse  in  the  long 
winters,  when  there  is  no  out-door  vegetation  visible  beyond 
that  of  the  coniferous  trees.  I  can  testify  that  a  dwelling 
which  one  enters  on  a  cold  day  in  midwinter  appears  doubly 
cheerful  when  the  eye  rests  upon  a  luxuriance  of  verdure  and 
flowers.  Winter  seems  defeated  in  his  effort  to  establish  uni- 
versal sway. 

The  winters  in  this  region  are  long  and  cold,  though  very 
little  snow  falls.  Around  Chetah  and  in  most  of  the  Trans- 
Baikal  province  there  is  not  snow  enough  for  good  sleighing, 
and  the  winter  roads  generally  follow  the  frozen  rivers. 
Horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  subsist  on  the  dead  and  dry  grass 
from  October  to  April,  but  they  do  not  fare  sumptuously  every 
day. 

North  and  south  of  the  head-waters  of  the  Ingodah  and 


HUNTING  GAZELLES. 


279 


Onon  there  are  mountain  ranges,  having  a  general  direction 
east  and  west.  Away  to  the  north  the  Polar  sea  and  the 
lakes  and  rivers  near  it  supply  the  rain  and  snow-clouds.  As 
they  sweep  toward  the  south  these  clouds  hourly  become  less 
and  their  last  drops  are  wrung  from  them  as  they  strike  the 
slopes  of  the  mountains  and  settle  about  their  crests.  The 
winter  clouds  from  the  Indian  Ocean  and  Caspian  Sea  rarely 
pass  the  desert  of  Gobi,  and  thus  the  country  of  the  Trans- 
Baikal  has  a  climate  peculiar  to  itself. 

During  my  stay  at  Chetah  a  party  was  organized  to  hunt 
gazelles.  There  were  ten  or  fifteen  officers  and  about  twenty 
Cossacks, 
as  at  Blago- 
veshchinsk. 
Up  to  the 
day  of  the 
excursion 
the  weather 
was  delight- 
ful, but  it 
suddenly 
changed  to 
a  cloudy 
sky,  a  high 
wind,  and  a 
freezing 
temp  era- 

ture     The  ON  THE  HILLS  NEAR  chetah. 

scene  of  action  was  a  range  of  hills  five  or  six  miles  from 
town.  We  went  there  in  carriages  and  wagons  and  on  horse- 
back, and  as  we  shivered  around  a  fire  built  by  the  Cossacks 
near  an  open  work  cabin,  we  had  little  appearance  of  a 
pleasure  party. 

The  first  drive  resulted  in  the  death  of  two  rabbits  and  the 
serious  disability  of  a  third.  One  halted  within  twenty  steps 
of  me  and  received  the  contents  of  my  gun-barrel.  I  re- 
loaded while  he  lay  kicking,  and  just  as  I  returned  the  ram- 


280 


A    WORK   OF    ART   BY   A  PRISONER. 


rod  to  its  place  the  beast  rose  and  ran  into  the  thick  bushes. 
I  hope  he  recovered  and  will  live  many  years.  He  seemed 
gifted  with  a  strong  constitution,  and  I  heard  several  stories 
of  the  tenacity  of  life  displayed  by  his  kindred. 

The  rabbit  or  hare  (lepus  variabilis)  abounds  in  the  valley 
of  the  Amoor  and  generally  throughout  Siberia.  He  is  much 
larger  than  the  New  England  rabbit  I  hunted  in  my  boyhood, 
and  smaller  than  the  long-eared  rabbit  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  California.  He  is  grey  or  brown  in  summer  and 
white  in  winter,  his  color  changing  as  cold  weather  begins. 
No  snow  had  fallen  at  Chetah,  but  the  rabbits  were  white  as 
chalk  and  easily  seen  if  not  easily  killed.  The  peasants 
think  the  rabbit  a  species  of  cat  and  refuse  to  eat  his  flesh, 
but  the  upper  classes  have  no  such  scruples.  I  found  him 
excellent  in  a  roast  or  stew  and  admirably  adapted  to  destroy- 
ing appetites.  Our  day's  hunt  brought  us  one  gazelle,  six 
rabbits,  one  lunch,  several  drinks,  and  one  smashed  wagon. 

I  saw  at  Chetah  a  chess  board  in  a  box  ten  inches  square 
with  a  miniature  tree  six  inches  high  on  its  cover.  The  fig- 
ure of  a  man  in  chains  leaning  upon  a  spade  near  a  wheel- 
barrow, stood  under  the  tree.  The  expression  of  the  face, 
the  details  of  the  clothing,  the  links  of  the  chains,  the  limbs 
of  the  tree,  and  even  the  roughness  of  its  bark,  were  care- 
fully represented.  It  was  the  work  of  a  Polish  exile,  who 
was  then  engaged  upon  something  more  elaborate.  Chess- 
men, tree,  barrow,  chains,  and  all,  were  made  from  black 
bread  !  The  man  took  part  of  his  daily  allowance,  moistened 
it  with  water,  and  kneaded  it  between  his  fingers  till  it  was 
soft  like  putty.  In  this  condition  he  fashioned  it  to  the  de- 
sired shape. 

When  I  called  upon  the  watchmaker  he  told  me  of  an 
American  recently  arrived  from  Kiachta.  Two  hours  later 
while  writing  in  my  room  I  heard  a  rap  at  my  door.  On 
opening  I  found  a  man  who  asked  in  a  bewildered  air,  "  Ame- 
rikanshy  doma?" 

"  Dah"  I  responded. 

"  Parlez  vous  Francais  ?"  was  his  next  question. 


CATHOLIC    PRIESTS   IN   SIBERIA.  281 

"  Oui,  Monsieur,  Francais  ou  Anglais." 

"  Then  you  are  the  man  I  want  to  find.    How  do  you  do  ?  " 

It  was  the  American,  who  had  come  in  search  of  me.  He 
told  me  he  was  born  in  England  and  was  once  a  naturalized 
citizen  of  the  United  States.  He  had  lived  in  New  York 
and  Chicago,  crossed  the  Plains  in  1850,  and  passed  through 
all  the  excitements  of  the  Pacific  coast,  finishing  and  being 
finished  at  Frazer's  River.  After  that  he  went  to  China  and 
accompanied  a  French  merchant  from  Shanghae  across  the 
*  Mongolian  steppes  to  Kiachta.  He  arrived  in  Chetah  a 
month  before  my  visit,  and  was  just  opening  a  stock  of  goods 
to  trade  with  the  natives. 

He  was  about  to  begin  matrimonial  life  with  a  French  lady 
whose  acquaintance  he  made  in  Kiachta.  He  had  sent  for  a 
Catholic  priest  to  solemnize  the  marriage,  as  neither  of  the 
high  contracting  parties  belonged  to  the  Russian  church. 
The  priest  was  then  among  the  exiles  at  Nerchinsk  Zavod, 
three  hundred  miles  away,  and  his  arrival  at  Chetah  was 
anxiously  looked  for  by  others  than  my  new  acquaintance. 
The  Poles  being  Catholics  have  their  own  priests  to  attend 
them  and  minister  to  their  spiritual  wants.  Some  of  these 
priests  are  exiles  and  others  voluntary  emigrants,  who  went 
to  Siberia  to  do  good.  The  exiled  priests  are  generally  per- 
mitted to  go  where  they  please,  but  I  presume  a  sharp  watch 
is  kept  over  their  actions.  When  there  is  a  sufficient  number 
of  Poles  they  have  churches  of  their  own  and  use  exclusively 
the  Romish  service. 

The  Germans  settled  in  Russia,  as  well  as  Russians  of  Ger- 
man descent,  usually  adhere  to  the  Lutheran  faith.  The  Si- 
berian peasants  almost  invariably  speak  of  a  Lutheran  church 
as  a  '  German'  one,  and  in  like  manner  apply  the  name  '  Pol- 
ish' to  Catholic  churches.  The  government  permits  all  re- 
ligious denominations  in  Siberia  to  worship  God  in  their  own 
way,  and  makes  no  interference  with  spiritual  leaders. 
Minor  sects  corresponding  to  Free  Lovers,  Shakers,  and  bod- 
ies of  similar  character,  are  not  as  liberally  treated  as  the 
followers  of  any  recognized  Christian  faith.    Of  course  the 


282 


AN   ARTILLERY  REVIEW. 


influence  of  the  government  is  for  the  Greek  Church,  but  it 
allows  no  oppression  of  Catholics  and  Lutherans.  So  far  as 
I  could  observe,  the  Greek  Church  in  Siberia  and  the  Estab- 
lished Church  in  England  occupy  nearly  similar  positions 
toward  dissenting  denominations. 

Three  days  after  my  arrival  General  Ditmar  started  for 
Irkutsk,  preceded  a  few  hours  by  my  late  traveling  companion. 
In  the  afternoon  following  the  general's  departure  I  witnessed 
an  artillery  parade  and  drill,  the  men  being  Cossacks  of  the 
Trans-Baikal  province.  The  battery  was  a  mounted  one  of 
six  guns,  and  I  was  told  the  horses  were  brought  the  day  be- 
fore from  their  summer  pastures.  The  affair  was  creditable 
to  officers  and  men,  the  various  evolutions  being  well  and 
rapidly  performed.  The  guns  were  whirled  about  the  field, 
unlimbered,  fired,  dismounted,  and  passed  through  all  the 
manipulations  known  to  artillerists. 

At  the  close  of  the  review  the  commanding  officer  thanked 
his  men  and  praised  their  skill.  He  received  the  response, 
simultaneously  spoken,  "  We  are  happy  to  please  you,"  or 
words  of  like  meaning.  At  every  parade,  whether  regular 
or  Cossack,  this  little  ceremony  is  observed.  As  the  men 
marched  from  the  field  to  their  quarters  they  sang  one  of 
their  native  airs.  These  Cossacks  meet  at  stated  intervals 
for  drill  and  discipline,  and  remain  the  balance  of  the  time 
at  their  homes.  The  infantry  and  cavalry  are  subject  to  the 
same  regulation,  and  the  musters  are  so  arranged  that  some 
part  of  the  Cossack  force  is  always  under  arms. 

After  the  review  I  dined  with  a  party  of  eighteen  or  twenty 
officers  at  the  invitation  of  Captain  Erifayeff  of  the  govern- 
or's staff.  The  dinner  was  given  in  the  house  where  my  host 
and  his  friend,  Captain  Pantoukin,  lived,  en  garcon.  The 
Emperor  of  Russia  and  the  President  of  the  United  States 
were  duly  remembered,  and  the  toasts  in  their  honor  were 
greeted  with  appropriate  music.  In  conversation  after  din- 
ner, I  found  all  the  officers  anxious  to  be  informed  concerning 
the  United  States.    The  organization  of  our  army,  the  rela- 


DEPARTURE    FROM  CHETAH. 


283 


tions  of  our  people  after  the  war,  our  mode  of  life,  manners, 
and  customs,  were  subjects  of  repeated  inquiry. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th  October,  Captain  Molostoff,  who 
was  to  be  my  companion,  announced  his  readiness  to  depart. 
I  made  my  farewell  calls,  and  we  packed  our  baggage  into 
my  tarantass,  with  the  exception  of  the  terrible  trunk  that 
adhered  to  me  like  a  shadow.  As  we  had  no  Cossack  and 
traveled  without  a  servant,  there  was  room  for  the  unwieldy 
article  on  the  seat  beside  the  driver.  I  earnestly  advise  every 
tourist  in  Siberia  not  to  travel  with  a  trunk.  The  Siberian 
ladies  manage  to  transport  all  the  articles  for  an  elaborate 
toilet  without  employing  a  single  6  dog  house  '  or  '  Saratoga.' 
If  they  can  do  without  trunks,  of  what  should  not  man  be 
capable  ?  ^ 

Our  leave-taking  consumed  much  time  and  champagne, 
and  it  was  nearly  sunset  before  we  left  Chetah.  It  is  the 
general  custom  in  Siberia  to  commence  journeys  in  the  after- 
noon or  evening,  the  latter  extending  anywhere  up  to  day- 
break. As  one  expects  to  travel  night  and  day  until  reach- 
ing his  destination,  his  hour  of  starting  is  of  no  consequence. 
Just  before  leaving  he  is  occupied  in  making  farewell  calls, 
and  is  generally  *  seen  off'  by  his  friends.  In  the  evening  he 
has  no  warm  bed  to  leave,  no  hasty  toilet  to  make,  and  no 
disturbed  household  around  him.  With  a  vehicle  properly 
arranged  he  can  settle  among  his  furs  and  pillows  and  is 
pretty  likely  to  fall  asleep  before  riding  many  miles.  I  was 
never  reconciled  to  commencing  a  journey  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, with  broken  sleep,  clothing  half  arranged,  and  a  4  picked- 
up '  breakfast  without  time  to  swallow  it  leisurely. 

On  leaving  Chetah  we  crossed  a  frozen  stream  tributary  to 
the  Ingodah,  and  proceeded  rapidly  over  an  excellent  road. 
We  met  several  carts,  one-horse  affairs  on  two  wheels,  laden 
with  hay  for  the  Chetah  market.  One  man  generally  con- 
trolled three  or  four  carts,  the  horses  proceeding  in  single  file. 
The  country  was  more  open  than  on  the  other  side  of  Chetah, 
and  the  road  had  suffered  little  in  the  rains  and  succeeding 
cold. 


284 


AN   UNPLEASANT  DOG. 


For  some  distance  we  rode  near  two  lines  of  telegraph ; 
one  was  a  temporary  affair  erected  during  the  insurrection  of 
1866,  while  the  other  was  the  permanent  line  designed  to 
connect  America  with  Europe  by  way  of  Bering's  Straits. 
The  poles  used  for  this  telegraph  are  large  and  firmly  set,  and 
give  the  line  an  appearance  of  durability. 

The  Captain  was  fond  of  dogs  and  had  an  English  pointer 
in  his  baggage.  During  the  day  the  animal  ran  near  the 
carriage,  and  at  night  slept  at  his  master's  feet.  He  was 
well  inclined  toward  me  after  we  were  introduced,  and  before 
the  journey  ended  he  became  my  personal  friend.  He  had 
an  objectionable  habit  of  entering  the  tarantass  just  before 
me  and  standing  in  the  way  until  I  was  seated.  Sometimes 
when  left  alone  in  the  carriage  he  would  not  permit  the  yem- 
shicks  to  attach  the  horses.  On  two  or  three  occasions  of 
this  kind  the  Captain  was  obliged  to  suspend  his  tea-drinking 
and  go  to  pacify  his  dog.  Once  as  a  yemshick  was  mounting 
the  box  of  the  tarantass,  1  Boika '  jumped  at  his  face  and  very 
nearly  secured  an  attachment  to  a  large  and  ruddy  nose. 
Spite  of  his  eccentricities,  he  was  a  good  dog  and  secured 
the  admiration  of  those  he  did  not  attempt  to  bite. 

We  passed  the  Yablonoi  mountains  by  a  road  far  from  dif- 
ficult. Had  I  not  been  informed  of  the  fact  I  could  have 
hardly  suspected  we  were  in  a  mountain  range.  The  Yab- 
lonoi chain  forms  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  head  streams 
of  the  Amoor  and  the  rivers  that  flow  to  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

On  the  south  we  left  a  little  brook  winding  to  reach  the 
-Ingodah,  and  two  hours  later  crossed  the  Ouda,  which  joins 
the  Selenga  at  Yerchne  Udinsk.  The  two  streams  flow  in 
opposite  directions.  One  threads  its  way  to  the  eastward, 
where  it  assists  in  forming  the  Amoor ;  the  other  through 
the  Selenga,  Lake  Baikal,  and  the  Yenesei,  is  finally  swal- 
lowed up  among  the  icebergs  and  perpetual  snows  of  the  far 
north. 

"  One  to  long  darkness  and  the  frozen  tide ; 
One  to  the  Peaceful  Sea." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


BEYOND  the  mountains  the  cold  increased,  the  country- 
was  slightly  covered  with  snow,  and  the  lakes  were 
frozen  over.  In  the  mountain  region  there  is  a  forest  of 
pines  and  birches,  but  farther  along  much  of  the  country  is 
flat  and  destitute  of  timber.  Where  the  road  was  good  our 
tarantass  rolled  along  very  well,  and  the  cold,  though  con- 
siderable, was  not  uncomfortable.  I  found  the  chief  incon- 
venience was,  that  the  moisture  in  my  breath  congealed  on 
my  beard  and  the  fur  clothing  near  it.  Two  or  three  times 
beard  and  fur  were  frozen  together,  and  it  was  not  always 
easy  to  separate  them. 

From  the  Yablonoi  mountains  to  Verkne  Udinsk  there  are 
very  few  houses  between  the  villages  that  form  the  posting 
stations.  The  principal  inhabitants  are  Bouriats,  a  people  of 
Mongol  descent  who  were  conquered  by  Genghis  Khan  in  the 
thirteenth  century  and  made  a  respectable  fight  against  the 
Russians  in  the  seventeenth.  Since  their  subjugation  they 
have  led  a  peaceful  life  and  appear  to  have  forgotten  all  war- 
like propensities.  Their  features  are  essentially  Mongolian, 
and  their  manners  and  customs  no  less  so. 

Some  of  them  live  in  houses  after  the  Russian  manner,  but 
the  yourt  is  the  favorite  habitation.  The  Bouriats  cling  to 
the  manners  of  their  race,  and  even  when  settled  in  villages 
are  unwilling  to  live  in  houses.  At  the  first  of  their  villages 
after  we  passed  the  mountains  I  took  opportunity  to  visit  a 
yourt.  It  was  a  tent  with  a  light  frame  of  trellis  work  cov- 
ered with  thick  felt,  and  I  estimated  its  diameter  at  fifteen 
or  eighteen  feet.    In  the  center  the  frame  work  has  no  cover- 

(285^ 


286 


VISITING   A   MONGOL  YOURT. 


ing,  in  order  to  give  the  smoke  free  passage.  A  fire,  some- 
times of  wood  and  sometimes  of  dried  cow-dung,  burns  in 
the  middle  of  the  yourt  during  the  day  and  is  covered  up  at 
night.  I  think  the  tent  was  not  more  than  five  and  a  half 
feet  high.    There  was  no  place  inside  where  I  could  stand 

erect.  The 
door  is  of 
several 
thickness  - 
e  s  of 
stitched 
and  quilt- 
ed felt,  and 
hangs  like 
a  curtain 
over  the 
|  entrance. 

The  eyes 
of  the 
Bouri  ats 
were  near- 
ly always 
I  red,  a  cir- 
cumstance 
explain- 
able by  the 
smoke 
that  fills 

their  habitations  and  in  which  they  appear  to  enjoy  them- 
selves. In  sleeping  they  spread  mats  and  skins  on  the 
ground  and  pack  very  closely.  Two  or  three  times  at  the 
stations  in  the  middle  of  the  night  I  approached  their  dwell- 
ings and  listened  to  the  nasal  chorus  within.  The  people  are 
early  risers,  if  I  may  judge  by  the  hours  when  I  used  to  find 
them  out  of  doors. 

As  to  furniture,  they  have  mats  and  skins  to  sit  upon  by 
day  and  convert  into  beds  at  night.    There  are  few  or  no 


BOURIAT  YOURTS. 


CONVERSIONS   AMONG   THE   NATIVES.  287 

tables,  and  little  crockery  or  other  household  comforts.  They 
have  pots  for  boiling  meat  and  heating  water,  and  a  few  jugs, 
bottles,  and  basins  for  holding  milk  and  other  liquids.  A  ' 
wooden  box  contains  the  valuable  clothing  of  the  family,  and 
there  are  two  or  three  bags  for  miscellaneous  use.  In  the 
first  yourt  I  entered  I  found  an  altar  that  was  doubtless  hol- 
low and  utilized  as  a  place  of  storage.  A  few  small  cups 
containing  grain,  oil,  and  other  offerings  were  placed  on  this 
altar,  and  I  was  careful  not  to  disturb  them. 

Their  religion  is  Bhudistic,  and  they  have  their  lamas,  who 
possess  a  certain  amount  of  sanctity  frcm  the  Grand  Lama 
of  Thibet.  The  lamas  are  numerous  and  their  sacred  char- 
acter does  not  relieve  or  deprive  them  of  terrestrial  labor  and 
trouble.  Many  of  the  lamas  engage  in  the  same  pursuits  as 
their  followers,  and  are  only  relieved  from  toil  to  exercise 
the  duties  of  their  positions.  They  perform  the  functions  of 
priest,  physician,  detective 'officer,  and  judge,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  have  control  over  souls  and  bodies,  to  direct  the  one 
and  heal  the  other.  Man,  woman,  child,  or  animal  falling 
sick  the  lama  is  summoned.  Thanks  to  the  fears  and  super- 
stitions of  native  thieves  he  can  generally  find  and  restore 
stolen  articles,  and  has  the  power  to  inflict  punishment. 

The  Russian  priests  have  made  very  few  converts  among 
the  Bouriats,  though  laboring  zealously  ever  since  the  con- 
quest of  Siberia.  In  1680  a  monastery  was  founded  at 
Troitsk  for  the  especial  purpose  of  converting  the  natives. 
The  number  who  have  been  baptized  is  very  small,  and  most 
of  them  are  still  pagans  at  heart.  Two  English  missionaries 
lived  a  long  time  at  Selenginsk,  but  though  earnest  and  hard 
working  I  am  told  they  never  obtained  a  single  proselyte. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  in  the  history  of  the  Bouriats  that 
Shamanism  was  almost  universal  among  them  two  hundred 
years  ago ;  practically  it  differed  little  from  that  of  the  na- 
tives on  the  Amoor.  Toward  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  a  mission  went  from  Siberia  to  Thibet,  and  its  mem- 
bers returned  as  lamas  and  bringing  the  paraphernalia  of  the 
new  religion  which  they  at  once  declared  to  their  people. 


288 


DRESS    OF   THE  BOURIATS. 


The  Bhudistic  faith  was  thus  founded  and  spread  over  the 
country  until  Shamanism  was  gradually  superseded.  Traces 
of  the  old  superstition  are  still  visible  in  certain  parts  of  the 
lama  worship. 

Most  of  their  religious  property,  such  as  robes,  idols,  cups, 
bells,  and  other  necessaries  for  the  Bhudhist  service  come 

from  Thibet.  A  Russian 
gentleman  gave  me  a  bell 
decorated  with  holy  in- 
scriptions and  possessing 
a  remarkably  fine  tone. 
Its  handle  was  the  bust 
and  crown  of  a  Bhudhist 
idol,  and  the  bell  was  de- 
signed for  use  in  religious 
services ;  it  was  to  be 
touched  only  by  a  disciple 
of  the  true  faith,  and  its 
possession  prophesied 
good  fortune.  Since  my 
return  to  America  it  oc- 
cupied a  temporary  place 
on  the  dining-table  of  a 
New  England  clergyman. 

The  Bouriats  manufac- 
ture very  few  articles  for 
their  own  use ;  they  sell 
their  sheep  to  the  Rus- 
sians, and  buy  whatever 
they  desire.  Their  dress 
is  partly  Mongol  and  part- 
ly Russian,  the  inconven- 
ient portions  of  the  Chinese  costume  being  generally  rejected. 
Their  caps  were  mostly  conical  in  shape,  made  of  quilted 
cloth  and  ornamented  with  a  silken  tassel  attached  to  the 
apex.  Their  trowsers  had  a  Chinese  appearance,  but  their 
coats  were  generally  of  sheepskin,  after  the  Russian  model. 


A  MONGOL  BELL. 


BOURIAT  DRIVERS. 


289 


Their  waist-belts  were  decorated  with  bits  of  steel  or  brass. 
They  shave  the  head  and  wear  the  hair  in  a  queue  like  the 
Chinese,  but  are  not  careful  to  keep  it  closely  trimmed.  A 
few  are  half  Mongol  and  half  Russian,  caused  no  doubt  by 
their  owners  being  born  and  reared  under  Muscovite  protec- 
tion. I  saw  many  pleasing  and  intelligent  countenances,  but 
few  that  were  pretty  ac- 
cording to  Western  no- 
tions. There  is  a  famous 
Bouriat  l^auty  of  whose 
charms  1  heard  much  and 
was  anxious  to  gaze  upon. 
Unfortunately  it  was  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  we  reached  the  sta- 
tion where  she  lived.  The 
unfashionable  hour  and  a 
big  dog  combined  to  pre- 
vent  my  visiting  her 
abode. 

From  the  mountains  to 
Verkne  Udinsk  most  of 
our  drivers  were  Bouriats. 
They  were  quite  as  skill 
ful  and  daring  as  the  Rus- 
sian yemshicks,  and  took 
us  at  excellent  speed 
where  the  road  was  good. 
The  station-masters  were 
Russian,  but  frequently 
all  their  employees  were 
of  Mongol  blood.  Some 
part  of  the  carriage  gave  way  on  the  road,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  repair  it  at  a  station.  A  Bouriat  man-of-all-work  un- 
dertook the  job  and  performed  it  very  well.  While  waiting 
for  the  repairs  1  saw  some  good  specimens  of  iron  work  from 
the  hands  of  native  blacksmiths. 
19 


A  MONGOL  BELLE 


290 


SHEEP   RAISING   IN  SIBERIA. 


The  Bouriats  engage  in  very  little  agriculture.  Properly 
they  are  herdsmen,  and  keep  large  droves  of  cattle,  horses, 
and  sheep,  the  latter  being  most  numerous.  I  saw  many  of 
their  flocks  near  the  road  we  traveled  or  feeding  on  distant 
parts  of  the  plain.  The  country  was  open  and  slightly  roll- 
ing, timber  being  scarce  and  the  soil  more  or  less  stony. 
Each  flock  of  sheep  was  tended  by  one  or  more  herdsmen 
armed  with  poles  like  rake-handles,  and  attached  to  each  pole 

  was  a  short  rope 

Nfllkl  with  a  noose  at 
the  end.  This 
implement  is  used 
in  catching  sheep, 
and  the  Bouriats 
are  very  skillful 
in  handling  it.  I 
saw  one  select  a 
sheep  which  be- 
came separated 
from  the  flock  be- 
fore he  secured  it. 
The  animal  while 
pursued  attempted  to  double  on  his  track.  As  he  turned  the 
man  swung  his  pole  and  caught  the  head  of  the  sheep  in  his 
noose.  It  reminded  me  of  lasso  throwing  in  Mexico  and 
California. 

In  looking  at  these  flocks  I  remembered  a  conundrum  con- 
taining the  inquiry,  "  Why  do  white  sheep  eat  more  hay  than 
black  ones  ?"  The  answer  was,  "  Because  there  are  more  of 
them."  In  Siberia  the  question  and  its  reply  would  be  in- 
correct, as  the  white  sheep  are  in  the  minority.  In  this  the 
sheep  of  Siberia  differ  materially  from  those  I  ever  saw  in 
any  other  country.  The  flocks  presented  a  great  variety  of 
colors,  or  rather,  many  combinations  of  white  and  black. 
Their  appearance  to  an  American  eye  was  a  very  peculiar 
and  novel  one. 

At  one  station  a  beggar  crouched  on  the  ground  near  the 


CATCHING  SHEEP. 


A   PERILOUS  CROSSING. 


291 


door  asked  alms  as  we  passed  him.  I  threw  him  a  small 
coin,  which  he  acknowledged  by  thrice  bowing  his  head  and 
touching  the  earth.  I  trust  this  mode  of  acknowledging 
courtesy  will  never  be  introduced  in  my  own  country. 

We  frequently  met  or  passed  small  trains  of  two-wheeled 
carts,  some  laden  with  merchandise  and  others  carrying 
Bouriat  or  Russian  families.  Most  of  these  carts  were  drawn 
by  bullocks  harnessed  like  horses  between  shafts.  Occasion- 
ally I  saw  bullocks  saddled  and  ridden  as  we  ride  horses, 
though  not  quite  as  rapidly.  A  few  carts  had  roofs  of  birch 
bark  to  shield  their  occupants  from  the  rain ;  from  appear- 
ances I  judged  these  carts  belonged  to  emigrants  on  their 
way  to  the  Amoor. 

At  the  crossing  of  a  small  river  we  found  the  water  full  of 
floating  ice  that  drifted  in  large  cakes.  There  was  much 
fixed  ice  at  both  edges  and  we  waited  an  hour  to  have  it  cut 
away.  When 
the  smotretal 
announced  that 
all  was  ready 
we  proceeded  to 
the  river  and 
found  it  any- 
thing but  invit- 
ing. The  Bou- 
riat yemshick 
pronounced  i  t 
safe,  and  as  he 
was  a  responsi- 
ble party  we  de- 
ferred to  his 
judgment.  While  we  waited  a  girl  rode  a  horse  through  the 
stream  without  hesitation. 

We  had  four  horses  harnessed  abreast  and  guided  by  the 
yemshick.  Two  others  were  temporarily  attached  ahead  un- 
der control  of  a  Bouriat.  As  we  drove  into  the  river  the 
horses  shrank  from  the  cold  water  and  ice  that  came  against 


A  COLD  BATH. 


292 


ARRIVAL   AT    VERKNE  UDINSK. 


their  sides.  One  slipped  and  fell,  but  was  soon  up  again. 
The  current  drifted  us  with  it  and  I  thought  for  a  moment 
we  were  badly  caught.  The  drivers  whipped  and  shouted  so 
effectively  that  we  reached  the  other  side  without  accident. 

On  the  second  evening  we  had  a  drunken  yemshick  who 
lost  the  road  several  times  and  once  drove  us  into  a  clump 
of  bushes.  As  a  partial  excuse  the  night  was  so  dark  that 
one  could  not  see  ten  feet  ahead.  About  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  reached  the  station  nearest  to  Verkne  Udinsk. 
Here  was  a  dilemma.  Captain  Molostoff  had  business  at 
Verkne  Udinsk  which  he  could  not  transact  before  nine  or 
ten  in  the  morning.  There  was  no  decent  hotel,  and  if  we 
pushed  forward  we  should  arrive  long  before  the  Russian 
hour  for  rising.  We  debated  the  question  over  a  steaming 
samovar  and  decided  to  remain  at  the  station  till  morning. 
By  starting  after  daylight  we  might  hope  to  find  the  town 
awake. 

The  travelers'  room  at  the  station  was  clean  and  well  fur- 
nished, but  heated  to  a  high  temperature.  The  captain  made 
his  bed  on  a  sofa,  but  I  preferred  the  tarantass  where  the  air 
was  cool  and  pure.  I  arranged  my  furs,  fastened  the  boot 
and  hood  of  the  carriage,  and  slept  comfortably  in  a  keen 
wind.  At  daylight  the  yemshicks  attached  horses  and  called 
the  captain  from  the  house.  He  complained  that  he  slept 
little  owing  to  the  heat.  Boika  was  in  bad  humor  and  opened 
the  day  by  tearing  the  coat  of  one  man  and  being  kicked  by 
another. 

The  ground  was  rougher  and  better  wooded  as  we  came 
near  the  junction  of  the  Ouda  and  Selenga,  and  I  could  see 
evidences  of  a  denser  population.  On  reaching  the  town  we 
drove  to  the  house  of  Mr.  PantouMn,  a  brother  of  an  officer 
I  met  at  Chetah.  The  gentleman  was  not  at  home  and  we 
were  received  by  his  friend  Captain  Sideroff.  After  talking 
a  moment  in  Russian  with  Captain  Molostoff,  our  new  ac- 
quaintance addressed  me  in  excellent  English  and  inquired 
after  several  persons  at  San  Francisco.    He  had  been  there 


SIBERIAN  ROBBERS. 


293 


four  times  with  the  Russian  fleet,  and  appeared  to  know  the 
city  very  well. 

Yerkne  Udinsk  is  at  the  junction  of  the  Ouda  and  Selenga 
rivers,  three  hundred  versts  from  Irkutsk  and  four  hundred 
and  fifty  from  Chetah.  It  presents  a  pretty  appearance  when 
approached  from  the  east,  when  its  largest  and  best  buildings 
first  catch  the  eye.  It  has  a  church  nearly  two  hundred 
years  old,  built  with  immensely  thick  walls  to  resist  occa- 
sional earthquakes.  A  large  crack  was  visible  in  the  wall  of 
a  newer  church,  and  repairs  were  in  progress. 

In  its  earlier  days  the  town  had  an  important  commerce, 
which  has  been  taken  away  by  Irkutsk  and  Kiachta.  It  has 
a  few  wealthy  merchants,  who  have  built  fine  houses  on  the 
principal  street.  I  walked  through  the  gastinni-dvor  but 
found  nothing  I  desired  to  purchase.  There  were  many  little 
articles  of  household  use  but  none  of  great  value.  Coats  of 
deerskin  were  abundant,  and  the  market  seemed  freshly  sup- 
plied with  them.  My  costume  was  an  object  of  curiosity  to 
the  hucksters  and  their  customers,  especially  in  the  item  of 
boots.  The  Russian  boots  are  round-toed  and  narrow.  I 
wore  a  pair  in  the  American  fashion  of  the  previous  year  and 
quite  different  from  the  Muscovite  style.  There  were  fre- 
quent touches  .of  elbows  and  deflections  of  eyes  attracting 
attention  to  my  feet. 

A  large  building  overlooking  the  town  was  designated  as 
the  jail,  and  said  to  be  rapidly  filling  for  winter.  "  There 
are  many  vagabonds  in  this  part  of  the  country,' '  said  my 
informant.  "  In  summer  they  live  by  begging  and  stealing. 
At  the  approach  of  winter  they  come  to  the  prisons  to  be 
housed  and  fed  during  the  cold  season.  They  are  generally 
compelled  to  work,  and  this  fact  causes  them  to  leave  as  early 
as  possible  in  the  spring.  Had  your  journey  been  in  mid- 
summer you  would  have  seen  many  of  these  fellows  along 
the  road.', 

While  speaking  of  this  subject  *ny  friend  told  me  there 
was  then  in  prison  at  Verkne  Udinsk  a  man  charged  with 
robbery.    "When  taken  he  made  desperate  resistance,  and  for 

x 


294  GOLD   AND   IRON   MINES   ON   THE  SELENGA. 

a  long  time  afterward  was  sullen  and  obstinate.  Recently 
he  confessed  some  of  his  crimes.  He  was  a  robber  by  pro- 
fession and  acknowledged  to  seventeen  murders  during  the 
last  three  years !  Once  he  killed  four  persons  in  a  single 
family,  leaving  only  a  child  too  young  to  testify  against  him. 
The  people  he  attacked  were  generally  merchants  with  money 
in  their  possession.  Robberies  are  not  frequent  in  Siberia, 
though  a  traveler  hears  many  stories  designed  to  alarm  the 
timorous.  I  was  told  of  a  party  of  three  persons  attacked 
in  a  lonely  place  at  night.  They  were  carrying  gold  from  the 
mines  to  the  smelting  works,  and  though  well  armed  were  so 
set  upon  that  the  three  were  killed  without  injury  to  the 
robbers. 

I  was  not  solicitous  about  my  safety  as  officers  were  seldom 
molested,  and  as  I  traveled  with  a  member  of  the  governor's 
staff  I  was  pretty  well  guarded.  Officers  rarely  carry  more 
than  enough  money  for  their  traveling  expenses,  and  they  are 
better  skilled  than  merchants  in  handling  fire  arms  and  de- 
fending themselves.  Besides,  their  molestation  would  be 
more  certainly  detected  and  punished  than  that  of  a  mer- 
chant or  chance  traveler. 

My  tarantass  had  not  been  materially  injured  in  the  jour- 
ney, but  several  screws  were  loose  and  there  was  an  air  of 
general  debility  about  it.  Like  the  deacon's  one-horse  shay 
in  its  eightieth  year,  the  vehicle  was  not  broken  but  had 
traces  of  age  about  it.  As  there  was  considerable  rough  road 
before  me  I  thought  it  advisable  to  put  everything  in  order, 
and  therefore  committed  the  carriage  to  a  blacksmith.  He 
labored  all  day  and  most  of  the  night  putting  in  bolts,  nuts, 
screws,  and  bits  of  iron  in  different  localities,  and  astonished 
me  by  demanding  less  than  half  I  expected  to  pay,  and  still 
more  by  his  guilty  manner,  as  if  ashamed  at  charging  double. 

The  iron  used  in  repairing  my  carriage  came  from  Petrosky 
Zavod,  about  a  hundred  miles  southeast  of  Yerkne  Udinsk. 
The  iron  works  were  established  during  the  reign  of  Peter 
the  Great,  and  until  quite  recently  were  mostly  worked  by 
convicts.    There  is  plenty  of  mineral  coal  in  the  vicinity, 


PRIVATE   MINING   ENTERPRISES.  295 


but  wood  is  so  cheap  and  abundant  that  charcoal  is  princi- 
pally used  in  smelting.  I  saw  a  specimen  of  the  Petrosky 
ore,  which  appeared  very  good.  The  machine  shops  of  these 
works  are  quite  extensive  and  well  supplied.  The  engines 
for  the  early  steamers  on  the  Amoor  were  built  there  by  Rus- 
sian workmen. 

There  are  several  private  mining  enterprises  in  the  rigion 
around  Verkne  Udinsk.  Most  of  them  have  gold  as  their  ob- 
ject, and  I  heard  of  two  or  three  lead  mines. 

During  the  night  of  my  stay  at  this  town  Captain  Sideroff 
insisted  so  earnestly  upon  giving  up  his  bed  that  politeness 
compelled  me  to  accept  it.  My  blankets  and  furs  on  the 
floor  would  have  been  better  suited  to  my  traveling  life, 
especially  as  the  captain's  bed  was  shorter  than  his  guest.  I 
think  travelers  will  agree  with  me  in  denouncing  the  use  of 
beds  and  warm  rooms  while  a  journey  is  in  progress.  They 
weaken  the  system  and  unfit  it  for  the  roughness  of  the  road. 
While  halting  at  night  the  floor  or  a  hard  sofa  is  preferable 
to  a  soft  bed.  The  journey  ended,  the  reign  of  luxuries  can 
begin. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


HEN  we  left  Verkne  Udinsk  we  crossed  the  Selenga 


V  V  before  passing  the  municipal  limits.  Our  ferry-boat 
was  like  the  one  at  Stratensk,  and  had  barely  room  on  its 
platform  for  our  tarantass.  A  priest  and  an  officer  who  were 
passengers  on  the  steamer  from  Blagoveshchensk  arrived 
while  we  were  getting  on  board  the  ferry-boat.  They  had 
been  greatly  delayed  on  the  way  from  Stratensk,  and  waited 
two  days  to  cross  the  Nercha. 

The  Selenga  was  full  of  ice,  some  cakes  being  larger  than 
the  platform  of  our  boat.  The  temperature  of  the  air  was 
far  below  freezing,  and  it  was  expected  the  river  would  close 
in  a  day  or  two.  It  might  shut  while  we  were  crossing  and 
confine  us  on  the  wretched  flat-boat  ten  or  twelve  hours,  un- 
til it  would  be  safe  to  walk  ashore.  However,  it  was  not  my 
craft,  and  as  there  were  six  or  eight  Russians  all  in  the  same 
boat  with  me,  I  did  not  borrow  trouble. 

The  ice-cakes  ground  unpleasantly  against  each  other  and 
had  things  pretty  much  their  own  way.  One  of  them  grated 
rather  roughly  upon  our  sides.  I  do  not  know  there  was  any 
danger,  but  I  certainly  thought  I  had  seen  places  of  greater 
safety  than  that.  When  we  were  in  the  worst  part  of  the 
stream  two  of  the  ferrymen  rested  their  poles  and  began 
crossing  themselves.  I  could  have  excused  them  had  they 
postponed  this  service  until  we  landed  on  the  opposite  bank 
or  were  stuck  fast  in  the  ice.  The  Russian  peasants  are 
more  dependant  on  the  powers  above  than  were  even  the  old 
Puritans.    The  former  abandon  efforts  in  critical  moments 


(296) 


ROUND   THE   WORLD   IN   FORTY   SECONDS.  297 

and  take  to  making  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  Puritans 
trusted  in  God,  but  were  careful  to  keep  their  powder  dry. 

A  wide  sand  bank  where  we  landed  was  covered  with 
smooth  ice,  and  I  picked  my  way  over  it  much  like  a  cat  ex- 


OUR  FEHRY  BOAT. 


ercising  on  a  mirror.  The  tarantass  was  pushed  ashore,  and 
as  soon  as  the  horses  were  attached  a  rapid  run  took  them 
up  the  bank  to  the  station. 

A  temporary  track  led  across  a  meadow  that  furnished  a 
great  deal  of  jolting  to  the  mile.  Eight  versts  from  Yerkne 
Udinsk  the  road  divides,  one  branch  going  to  Kiachta  and 
the  other  to  Lake  Baikal  and  Irkutsk.  A  pleasing  feature 
of  the  route  was  the  well-built  telegraph  line,  in  working  or- 
der to  St.  Petersburg.  It  seemed  to  shorten  the  distance  be- 
tween me  and  home  when  I  knew  that  the  electric  current 
had  a  continuous  way  to  America.  Puck  would  put  a  girdle 
round  the  earth  in  forty  minutes.  From  China  to  California, 
more  than  half  the  circuit  of  the  globe,  we  can  flash  a  signal 
in  a  second  of  time,  and  gain  by  the  hands  of  the  clock  more 
than  fourteen  hours. 

From  the  point  of  divergence  the  road  to  Kiachta  ascends 
the  valley  of  the  Selenga,  while  that  to  Irkutsk  descends  the 


298  FARM   SCENES   AND   FAST  TRAVEL. 

left  bank  of  the  stream.  I  found  the  Kiachta  route  rougher 
than  any  part  of  the  way  from  Chetah  to  Verkne  Udinsk, 
and  as  the  yemshick  took  us  at  a  rattling  pace  we  were  pretty 
thoroughly  shaken  up. 

At  the  second  station  we  had  a  dinner  of  stchee,  or  cabbage 
soup,  with  bread  and  the  caviar  of  the  Selenga.  This  caviar 
is  of  a  golden  color  and  made  from  the  roe  of  a  small  fish 
that  ascends  from  Lake  Baikal.  It  is  not  as  well  liked  as 
the  caviar  of  the  Yolga  and  Amoor,  the  egg  being  less  rich 
than  that  of  the  sturgeon,  though  about  the  same  size.  If  I 
may  judge  from  what  I  saw,  there  is  less  care  taken  in  its 
preparation  than  in  that  of  the  Volga. 

The  road  ascended  the  Selenga,  but  the  valley  was  so  wide 
and  we  kept  so  near  its  edge  that  the  river  was  not  often 
visible.  The  valley  is  well  peopled  and  yields  finely  to  the 
agriculturalist.  Some  of  the  farms  appeared  quite  prosper- 
ous and  their  owners  well-to-do  in  the  world.  The  general 
appearance  was  not  unlike  that  of  some  parts  of  the  Wabash 
country,  or  perhaps  better  still,  the  region  around  Marysville, 
Kansas.  Russian  agriculture  does  not  exhibit  the  care  and 
economy  of  our  states  where  land  is  expensive.  There  is 
such  abundance  of  soil  in  Siberia  that  every  farmer  can  have 
all  he  desires  to  cultivate.  Many  farms  along  the  Selenga 
had  a  4  straggling'  appearance,  as  if  too  large  for  their  own- 
ers. Per  contra,  I  saw  many  neat  and  well  managed  home- 
steads, with  clean  and  comfortable  dwellings. 

With  better  implements  of  husbandry  and  a  more  thorough 
working  of  the  soil,  the  peasants  along  the  Selenga  would 
find  agricultnre  a  sure  road  to  wealth.  Under  the  present 
system  of  cultivation  the  valley  is  pleasing  to  the  eye  of  a 
traveler  who  views  it  with  reference  to  its  practical  value. 
There  were  flocks  of  sheep,  droves  of  cattle  and  horses,  and 
stacks  of  hay  and  grain ;  everybody  was  apparently  well  fed 
and  the  houses  were  attractive.  We  had  good  horses,  good 
drivers,  and  generally  good  roads  for  the  first  hundred  versts. 
Sometimes  we  left  the  Selenga,  but  kept  generally  parallel  to 
its  course.    The  mountains  beyond  the  valley  were  lofty  and 


MEETING   A    TEA  TRAIN. 


299 


clearly  defined.  Frequently  they  presented  striking  and 
beautiful  scenery,  and  had  I  been  a  skillful  artist  they  would 
have  tempted  me  to  sketch  them. 

The  night  came  upon  us  cold  and  with  a  strong  wind  blow- 
ing from  the  north.  We  wrapped  ourselves  closely  and  wer© 
quite  comfortable,  the  dog  actually  lolling  beneath  our  sheep- 
skin coverlid.  Approaching  Selenginsk  we  found  a  few  bits 
of  bad  road  and  met  long  caravans  laden  with  tea  for  Ir- 
kutsk. 

These  caravans  were  made  up  of  little  two-wheeled  carts, 
each  drawn  by  a  single  horse.  From  six  to  ten  chests  of  tea, 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  roads,  are  piled  on  each 
cart  and  firmly  bound  with  cords.  There  is  one  driver  to 
every  four  or  five  carts,  and  this  driver  has  a  dormitory  on 
one  of  his  loads.  This  is  a  rude  frame  two  and  a  half  by 
six  feet,  with  sides  about  seven  inches  high.  With  a  sheep- 
skin coat  and  coverlid  a  man  contrives  to  sleep  in  this  box 
while  his  team  moves  slowly  along  the  road  or  is  feeding  at 
a  halting  place. 

All  the  freight  between  Kiachta  and  Lake  Baikal  is  carried 
on  carts  in  summer  and  on  one-horse  sleds  in  winter.  From 
Kiachta  westward  tea  is  almost  the  only  article  of  transport, 
the  quantity  sometimes  amounting  to  a  million  chests  per 
annum.  The  tea  chests  are  covered  with  raw  hide,  which 
protects  them  from  rain  and  snow  and  from  the  many  thumps 
of  their  journey.  The  teams  belong  to  peasants,  who  carry 
freight  for  a  stipulated  sum  per  pood.  The  charges  are  lower 
in  winter  than  in  summer,  as  the  sledge  is  of  easier  draft 
than  the  cart. 

The  caravans  travel  sixteen  hours  of  every  twenty-four,  and 
rarely  proceed  faster  than  a  walk.  The  drivers  are  frequent- 
ly asleep  and  allow  the  horses  to  take  their  own  pace.  The 
caravans  are  expected  to  give  up  the  whole  road  on  the  ap- 
proach of  a  post  carriage,  and  when  the  drivers  are  awake 
they  generally  obey  the  regulation.  Very  often  it  happened 
that  the  foremost  horses  turned  aside  of  their  own  accord  as 
we  approached.    They  heard  the  bells  that  denoted  our  char- 


300 


OLD   AND   NEW  SELENGINSK. 


acter,  and  were  aware  of  our  yemshick's  right  to  strike  them 
if  they  neglected  their  duty.  The  sleeping  drivers  and  de- 
linquent horses  frequently  received  touches  of  the  lash. 
There  was  little  trouble  by  day,  but  at  night  the  caravan 


EQUAL  RIGHTS. 


horses  were  less  mindful  of  our  comfort.  Especially  if  the 
road  was  bad  and  narrow  the  post  vehicles,  contrary  to  regu- 
lation, were  obliged  to  give  way. 

It  was  three  or  four  hours  before  daylight  when  we  reached 
Selenginsk,  and  the  yemshick  removed  his  horses  preparatory 
to  returning  to  his  station.  I  believe  Selenginsk  is  older  than 
Verkne  Udinsk,  and  very  much  the  senior  of  Irkutsk.  The 
ancient  town  is  on  the  site  of  the  original  settlement,  but 
frequent  inundations  caused  its  abandonment  for  the  other 
bank  of  the  river,  five  versts  away.  New  Selenginsk,  which 
has  a  great  deal  of  antiquity  in  its  appearance,  is  a  small 
town  with  a  few  good  houses,  a  well  built  church,  and  com- 
modious barracks. 

During  the  troubles  between  China  and  Russia  concerning 
the  early  occupation  of  the  Amoor  and  encroachments  on  the 
Celestial  frontier,  Selenginsk  was  an  important  spot.  It  was 
often  threatened  by  the  Chinese,  and  sustained  a  siege  in 
1687.  A  convention  was  held  there  in  1727,  and  some  pro- 
visions of  the  treaty  then  concluded  are  still  in  force. 


THE   RULE    OF   THE  ROAD. 


301 


Mr.  Bestoujeff,  one  of  the  exiles  of  1825,  was  living  at 
Selenginsk  at  the  time  of  my  visit.  There  were  two  brothers 
of  this  name  concerned  in  the  insurrection,  and  at  the  expi- 
ration of  their  sentences  to  labor  they  were  settled  at  this 
place.  Subsequently  they  were  joined  by  three  sisters,  who 
sacrificed  all  their  prospects  in  life  to  meet  their  brothers  in 
Siberia.  The  family  was  permitted  to  return  to  Europe  when 
the  present  emperor  ascended  the  throne,  but  having  been  so 
long  absent  the  permission  was  never  accepted. 

The  river  was  full  of  floating  ice  and  could  not  be  crossed 
in  the  night,  and  we  ordered  horses  so  that  we  might  reach 
the  bank  at  dawn.  Both  banks  of  the  river  were  crowded 
with  carts,  some  laden  and  others  empty.  A  government 
officer  has  preference  over  dead  loads  of  merchandise,  and  so 
we  were  taken  in  charge  without  delay.  To  prevent  acci- 
dents the  horses  were  detached,  and  the  carriage  pushed  on 
the  ferry-boat  by  men.  The  tamed  unfieiy  steeds  followed 
us  with  some  reluctance,  and  shivered  in  the  breeze  during 
the  voyage.  We  remained  in  the  tarantass  through  the  whole 
transaction.  The  ice  ran  in  the  river  as  at  Yerkne  Udinsk, 
but  the  cakes  were  not  as  large.  Our  chief  ferryman  was  a 
Russian,  and  had  a  crew  of  six  Bouriats  who  spoke  Mongol 
among  themselves  and  Russian  with  their  commander. 

From  Selenginsk  to  Kiachta,  a  distance  of  ninety  versts, 
the  road  is  hilly  and  sandy.  We  toiled  slowly  up  the  ascents, 
and  our  downward  progress  was  but  little  better.  We  met 
several  caravans  where  the  road  was  narrow  and  had  but  one 
beaten  track.  In  such  cases  we  generally  found  it  better  to 
turn  aside  ourselves  than  to  insist  upon  our  rights  and  com- 
pel the  caravan  to  leave  the  road.  The  hills  were  sandy  and 
desolate,  and  I  could  not  see  any  special  charm  in  the  land- 
scape. I  employed  much  of  the  day  in  sleeping,  which  may 
possibly  account  for  the  lack  of  minute  description  of  the 
road. 

The  only  point  where  the  cold  touched  me  was  at  the  tip 
of  my  nose,  where  I  left  my  dehar  open  to  obtain  air.  The 
Russian  dehar  is  generally  made  of  antelope  or  deer  skin, 


302 


AN   INCONVENIENT  COSTUME. 


and  forms  an  admirable  defence  against  cold.  Mine  reached 
to  my  heels,  and  touched  the  floor  when  I  stood  erect.  When 
the  collar  was  turned  up  and  brought  together  in  front  my 
head  was  utterly  invisible.  The  sleeves  were  four  or  five 
inches  longer  than  my  arms,  and  the  width  of  the  garment 
was  enough  for  a  man  and  a  boy.  I  at  first  suspected  I  had 
bought  by  mistake  a  coat  intended  for  a  Russian  giant  then 
exhibiting  in  Moscow. 

This  article  of  apparel  is  comfortable  only  when  one  is 
seated  or  extended  in  his  equipage.  Walking  is  very  difficult 
in  a  debar,  and  its  wearer  feels  about  as  free  to  move  as  if 
enclosed  in  a  pork-barrel.  It  was  a  long  time  before  I  could 
turn  my  collar  up  or  down  without  assistance,  and  frequently 
after  several  efforts  to  seize  an  outside  object  I  found  myself 
grasping  the  ends  of  my  sleeves.  The  warmth  of  the  gar- 
ment atones  for  its  cumbersome  character,  and  its  gigantic 
size  is  fully  intentional.  The  length  protects  the  feet  and 
legs,  the  high  collar  warms  the  head,  and  the  great  width  of 
the  debar  allows  it  to  be  well  wrapped  about  the  body.  The 
long  sleeves  cover  the  hands  and  preserve  fingers  from  frost 
bites.  Taken  as  a  whole  it  is  a  mental  discomfort  but  a 
physical  good,  and  may  be  considered  a  necessary  nuisance 
of  winter  travel  in  Siberia. 

At  Ust  Kiachta,  the  last  station  before  reaching  our  jour- 
ney's end,  we  were  waited  upon  by  a  young  and  tidy  woman 
in  a  well-kept  room.  It  was  about  nine  in  the  evening  when 
we  reached  Troitskosavsk,  and  entered  town  among  the  large 
buildings  formerly  occupied  as  a  frontier  custom  house.  As 
there  was  no  hotel  we  drove  to  the  house  of  the  Police  Mas- 
ter, the  highest  official  of  the  place.  I  had  letters  to  this 
gentleman,  but  did  not  find  him  at  home.  His  brother  took 
us  in  charge  and  sent  a  soldier  to  direct  us  to  a  house  where 
we  could  obtain  lodgings. 

It  is  the  custom  in  Siberian  towns  to  hold  a  certain  number 
of  lodging  places  always  ready  for  travelers.  These  are  con- 
trolled by  the  Police  Master,  to  whom  strangers  apply  for 
quarters.    Whether  he  will  or  no,  a  man  who  has  registered 


TAKING   MUSIC  LESSONS. 


303 


lodging  rooms  with  the  police  must  open  them  to  any  guest 
assigned  him,  no  matter  what  the  hour.  It  was  ten  o'clock 
when  we  reached  our  destined  abode.  We  made  a  great  deal 
of  noise  that  roused  a  servant  to  admit  us  to  the  yard.  The 
head  of  the  household  came  to  the  door  in  his  shirt  and  rub- 
bed his  eyes  as  if  only  half  awake.  His  legs  trembled  with 
the  cold  while  he  waited  for  our  explanations,  and  it  was  not 
till  we  were  admitted  that  he  thought  of  his  immodest  ex- 
posure. 

I  would  not  wish  it  inferred  that  no  one  can  find  lodgings 
until  provided  by  the  police.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  rarely 
necessary  to  obtain  them  through  this  channel.  Travelers 
are  not  numerous,  and  the  few  strangers  visiting  Siberia  are 
most  cordially  welcomed.  Officers  are  greeted  and  find  homes 
with  their  fellow  officers,  while  merchants  enjoy  the  hospital- 
ities of  men  of  their  class. 

We  ordered  the  samovar,  and  being  within  Parrott-gun 
range  of  China  we  had  excellent  tea.  I  passed  the  night  on 
a  sofa  so  narrow  that  I  found  it  difficult  to  turn  over,  and 
fairly  rolled  to  the  floor  while  endeavoring  to  bestow  myself 
properly.  While  finishing  my  morning  toilet  I  received  a 
visit  from  Major  Boroslofski,  Master  of  Police,  who  came  to 
acknowledge  General  Ditmar's  letter  of  introduction.  He 
tendered  the  hospitalities  of  the  place,  and  desired  me  to 
command  his  services  while  I  remained. 

We  had  two  rooms  with  a  bedstead  and  sofa,  besides  lots 
of  chairs,  mirrors,  tables,  and  flower  pots.  Then  we  had  an 
apartment  nearly  thirty  feet  square,  that  contained  more 
chairs,  tables,  and  flower  pots.  In  one  corner  there  was  a 
huge  barrel-organ  that  enabled  me  to  develop  my  musical 
abilities.  I  spent  half  an  hour  the  morning  after  our  arrival 
in  turning  out  the  national  airs  of  Russia.  Molostoff  amused 
himself  by  circulating  his  cap  before  an  invisible  audience 
and  collecting  imperceptible  coin.  While  dancing  to  one  of 
my  liveliest  airs  he  upset  a  flower  pot,  and  the  crash  that  fol- 
lowed brought  our  concert  to  a  close.    Two  sides  of  the  large 


304  TROITSKOSAVSK   AND  KIACHTA. 


room  were  entirely  bordered  with  horticultural  productions, 
some  of  them  six  or  eight  feet  high. 


AMATEUR  CONCERT  IN  SIBERIA. 


Troitskosavsk  and  Kiachta  have  a  sort  of  husband  and 
wife  singleness  and  duality.  They  are  about  two  miles  apart, 
the  former  having  five  or  six  thousand  inhabitants  and  the 
latter  about  twelve  hundred.  In  government,  business,  and 
interest  the  two  places  are  one,  the  Master  of  Police  having 
jurisdiction  over  both,  and  the  merchants  living  indifferently 
in  one  or  the  other.  Many  persons  familiar  with  the  name 
of  Kiachta  never  heard  of  the  other  town.  It  may  surprise 
London  merchants  who  send  Shanghai  telegrams  "  via  Ki- 
achta" to  learn  that  the  wires  terminate  at  Troitskosavsk, 
and  do  not  reach  Kiachta  at  all. 

The  treaty  which  established  trade  between  Russia  and 
China  at  Kiachta  provided  that  no  one  should  reside  there 
except  merchants  engaged  in  traffic.  No  officer  could  live 
there,  nor  could  any  person  whatever  beyond  merchants  and 
their  employees  and  families  remain  over  night.    No  stone 


OFFICIAL   VISITS   AND   DECORATIONS.  305 

buildings  except  a  church  could  be  erected,  and  visits  of 
strangers  were  to  be  discouraged.  Kiachta  was  thus  restrict- 
ed to  the  business  of  a  trading  post,  and  the  town  of  Troitsk- 
osavsk,  two  miles  away,  was  founded  for  the  residence  of  the 
officials,  outside  traders,  and  laborers.  Most  of  the  restric- 
tions above  mentioned  exist  no  longer,  but  the  towns  have 
not  quite  lost  their  old  relations.  There  is  an  excellent  road 
from  one  to  the  other,  and  the  carriages,  carts,  and  pedes- 
trians constantly  thronging  it  present  a  lively  scene. 

The  police  master  tendered  his  equipage  and  offered  to  es- 
cort me  in  making  calls  upon  those  I  wished  to  know.  Eti- 
quette is  no  less  rigid  in  Siberian  towns  and  cities  than  in 
Moscow  and  St.  Petersburg.  One  must  make  ceremonial 
visits  as  soon  as  possible  after  his  arrival,  officials  being  first 
called  upon  in  the  order  of  rank  and  civilians  afterward. 
Officers  making  visits  don  their  uniforms,  with  epaulettes  and 
side  arms,  and  with  all  their  decorations  blazing  on  their 
breasts.  Civilians  go  in  evening  dress  arranged  with  fastid- 
ious care.  The  hours  for  calling  are  between  eleven  A.  M. 
and  three  P.  M.  A  responsive  call  may  be  expected  within 
two  days,  and  must  be  made  with  the  utmost  precision  of 
costume. 

Arrayed  for  the  occasion  I  made  eight  or  ten  visits  in  Ki- 
achta and  Troitskosavsk.  The  air  was  cold  and  the  frost 
nipped  rather  severely  through  my  thin  boots  as  we  drove 
back  from  Kiachta.  After  an  early  dinner  we  went  to  Mai- 
maichin  to  visit  the  sargootcliay,  or  Chinese  governor.  We 
passed  under  a  gateway  surmounted  with  the  double-headed 
eagle,  and  were  saluted  by  the  Cossack  guard  as  we  left  the 
borders  of  the  Russian  empire.  Outside  the  gateway  we 
traversed  the  neutral  ground,  two  hundred  yards  wide,  driv- 
ing toward  a  screen  or  short  wall  of  brick  work,  on  which  a 
red  globe  was  represented.  We  crossed  a  narrow  ditch  and, 
passing  behind  the  screen,  entered  a  gateway  into  Maimai- 
chin,  the  most  northern  city  of  China. 

20 


/ 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


IROM  1727  to  1860  nearly  all  the  trade  between  Russia 


J-  and  China  was  transacted  at  Kiachta  and  Maimaichin. 
The  Russians  built  the  one  and  the  Chinese  the  other,  exclu- 
sively for  commercial  purposes.  To  this  day  no  Chinese 
women  are  allowed  at  Maimaichin.  The  merchants  consider 
themselves  only  sojourners,  though  the  majority  spend  the 
best  part  of  their  lives  there.  Contact  with  Russians  has 
evidently  improved  the  Celestials,  as  this  little  frontier  city 
is  the  best  arranged  and  cleanest  in  all  China. 

After  passing  the  gateway,  the  street  we  entered  was  nar- 
row compared  to  our  own,  and  had  but  a  single  carriage 
track.  On  the  sidewalks  were  many  Chinese,  who  stopped 
to  look  at  us,  or  rather  at  me.  We  drove  about  two  hundred 
yards  and  turned  into  an  enclosure,  where  we  alighted. 
Near  at  hand  were  two  masts  like  flag-staffs,  gaily  ornament- 
ed at  the  top  but  bearing  no  banners.  Our  halting  place  was 
near  the  Temple  of  Justice,  where  instruments  of  punish- 
ment were  piled  up.  There  were  rattans  and  bamboos  for 
flogging  purposes  by  the  side  of  yokes,  collars,  and  fetters, 
carefully  designed  for  subduing  the  refractory.  There  was  a 
double  set  of  stocks  like  those  now  obsolete  in  America,  and 
their  appearance  indicated  frequent  use.  To  be  cornered  in 
these  would  be  as  unpleasant  as  in  Harlem  or  Erie. 

From  this  temple  we  passed  through  a  covered  colonnade 
and  entered  an  ante-room,  where  several  officers  and  servants 
were  in  attendance.  Here  we  left  our  overcoats  and  were 
shown  to  another  apartment  where  we  met  the  sargootchay. 
His  Excellency  shook  hands  with  me  after  the  European 


(306) 


INTERVIEW   WITH   A    CHINESE   GOVERNOR.  307 


manner.  His  son,  a  youth  of  sixteen,  was  then  presented, 
and  made  the  acquaintance  of  Major  Boroslofski.  The  sar. 
gootchay  had  a  pleasing  and  interesting  face  of  the  true  Chi 
nese  type,  with  no  beard  beyond  a  slight  mustache,  and  ? 
complexion  rather  paler  than  mo?  countrymen.  He 


A  CHINESE  MANDARIN. 


wore  the  dress  of  a  Mandarin,  with  the  universal  long  robe 
and  a  silk  jacket  with  wide  sleeves. 

After  the  ceremony  of  introduction  was  ended  the  sargoot- 
chay  signed  for  us  to  be  seated.  He  took  his  own  place  on  a 
divan,  and  gave  the  6  illustrious  stranger'  the  post  of  honor 
near  him.  Tea  and  cigars  were  brought,  and  we  had  a  few 
moments  of  smoky  silence.    The  room  was  rather  bare  of 


308 


A    CELESTIAL  RECEPTION. 


furniture,  and  the  decorations  on  the  walls  were  Russian  and 
Chinese1  in  about  equal  proportion.  I  noticed  a  Russian 
stove  in  one  corner  and  a  samovar  in  the  adjoining  room. 
The  sargootchay  had  been  newly  appointed,  and  arrived  only 
a  week  before.  I  presume  his  housekeeping  was  not  well 
under  way. 

The  interview  was  as  interesting  as  one  could  expect  where 
neither  party  had  anything  important  to  say  to  the  other. 
We  attempted  conversation  which  expressed  our  delight  at 
meeting  and  the  good- will  of  our  respective  countries  toward 
each  other.  The  talk  was  rather  slow,  as  it  went  through 
many  translations  in  passing  between  me  and  my  host.  Tea 
and  smoke  were  of  immense  service  in  filling  up  the  chinks. 

When  I  wished  to  say  anything  to  the  sargootchay  I  spoke 
in  French  to  Major  Boroslofski,  who  sat  near  me. 

The  major  then  addressed  his  Bouriat  interpreter  in  Rus- 
sian. 

This  interpreter  turned  to  a  Mongol-Chinese  official  at  his 
side  and  spoke  to  him  in  Mongol. 

The  latter  translated  into  Chinese  for  the  understanding 
of  his  chief. 

The  replies  of  the  sargootchay  returned  by  the  same  route. 
I  have  a  suspicion  that  very  little  of  what  we  really  said  ever 
reached  its  destination.  His  reply  to  one  remark  of  mine 
had  no  reference  to  what  I  said,  and  the  whole  conversation 
was  a  curious  medley  of  compliments.  Our  words  were 
doubtless  polarized  more  than  once  in  transmission. 

We  had  tea  and  sweetmeats,  the  latter  in  great  variety. 
The  manner  of  preparing  tea  did  not  please  me  as  well  as 
the  Russian  one.  The  Chinese  boil  their  tea  and  give  it  a 
bitter  flavor  that  the  Russians  are  careful  to  avoid.  They 
drink  it  quite  strong  and  hot,  using  no  milk  or  sugar.  Out 
of  deference  to  foreign  tastes  they  brought  sugar  for  us  to 
use  at  our  liking.  After  the  tea  and  sweetmeats  the  sargoot- 
chay ordered  champagne,  in  which  we  drank  each  other's 
health.    At  the  close  of  the  interview  I  received  invitation 


WORSHIPPING   IN   A  TEMPLE. 


309 


to  dine  with  His  Excellency  two  days  later  and  witness  a 
theatrical  performance. 

Our  adieus  were  made  in  the  European  manner,  and  after 
leaving  the  sargootchay  we  visited  a  temple  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  town.  We  passed  through  a  large  yard  and 
wound  among  so  many  courts  and  colonnades  that  I  should 
have  been  sorely  puzzled  to  find  my  way  out  alone.  The 
public  buildings  of  Maimaichin  are  not  far  from  each  other, 
but  the  routes  between  them  are  difficult  for  one  whose  ideas 
of  streets  were  formed  in  American  cities.  On  passing  the 
theatre  we  were  shown  two  groups  larger  than  life  in  rooms 
on  opposite  sides  of  a  covered  colonnade.  They  were  cut  in 
sand-stone,  one  representing  a  rearing  horse  which  two 
grooms  were  struggling  to  hold.  The  other  was  the  same 
horse  walking  quietly  under  control  of  one  man. 

The  figures  evidently  came  from  Greek  history,  and  I  had 
little  doubt  that  they  were  intended  to  tell  of  Alexander  and 
Bucephalus.  I  learned  that  the  words  '  Philip  of  Macedon* 
were  the  literal  translation  of  the  Chinese  title  of  the  groups. 
How  or  when  the  Celestials  heard  the  story  of  Alexander, 
and  why  they  should  represent  it  in  stone,  I  cannot  imagine. 
No  one  could  tell  the  age  and  origin  of  these  works  of  art. 

On  the  walls  of  buildings  near  the  temple  there  were  paint- 
ings from  Chinese  artists,  some  of  them  showing  a  creditable 
knowledge  of  perspective.  '  John'  can  paint  very  well  when 
he  chooses,  and  any  one  conversant  with  his  skill  will  testify 
that  he  understands  perspective.  Why  he  does  not  make 
more  use  of  it  is  a  mystery  that  demands  explanation. 

When  we  entered  the  temple  it  was  sunset,  and  the  gather- 
ing shadows  rendered  objects  indistinct.  From  the  character 
of  the  windows  and  the  colonnades  outside  I  suppose  a  6  dim 
religious  light'  prevails  there  at  all  times.  The  temple  con- 
tains several  idols  or  representations  of  Chinese  deities  in 
figures  larger  than  life,  dressed  with  great  skill  and  literally 
gotten  up  regardless  of  expense.  Their  garments  were  of 
the  finest  silk,  and  profusely  ornamented  with  gold,  silver, 
and  precious  stones. 


310 


LOCKED   IN   FOR   THE  NIGHT. 


There  were  the  gods  of  justice,  peace,  war,  agriculture, 
mechanics,  love,  and  prosperity.  The  god  of  love  had  a 
most  hideous  countenance,  quite  in  contrast  to  that  of  the 
gentle  Cupid  with  whom  the  majority  of  my  readers  are 
doubtless  familiar.  The  god  of  war  brandished  a  huge 
sword,  and  reminded  me  of  the  leading  tragedian  of  the 
Bowery  Theatre  ten  years  ago.  The  temple  was  crowded 
with  idols,  vases,  censers,  pillars,  and  other  objects,  and  it 
was  not  easy  for  our  party  to  move  about.  In  the  middle  of 
the  apartment  there  were  tables  supporting  offerings  of  cooked 
fowls  and  other  edibles.  These  articles  are  eaten  by  the  at- 
tendants at  the  temple,  but  whether  the  worshippers  know 
this  fact  or  believe  their  gods  descend  to  satisfy  their  appe- 
tites, I  cannot  say. 

To  judge  from  what  I  saw  the  Chinese  are  accustomed  to 
decorate  their  houses  of  worship  at  great  cost.  There  were 
rich  curtains  and  a  thousand  and  one  articles  of  more  or  less 
value  filling  the  greater  part  of  the  temple.  Lanterns  and 
chandeliers  displayed  the  skill  and  patience  of  the  Chinese 
in  manipulating  metals.  There  were  imitations  of  butter- 
flies and  other  insects,  and  of  delicate  leaves  and  flowers  in 
metal,  painted  or  burnished  in  the  color  of  the  objects  repre- 
sented. The  aggregate  time  consumed  in  the  manufacture 
of  these  decorations  must  be  thousands  of  years.  In  a  sus- 
pended vase  I  saw  one  boquet  which  was  a  clever  imitation 
of  nature,  with  the  single  exception  of  odor.  The  Chinese 
make  artificial  roses  containing  little  cups  which  they  fill 
with  rose-water. 

On  our  return  we  found  the  gate  closed,  and  were  obliged 
to  wait  until  the  ponderous  key  was  brought  to  open  it.  The 
officer  controlling  the  gate  made  no  haste,  and  we  were  de- 
layed in  a  crowd  of  Chinese  men  and  dogs  for  nearly  fifteen 
minutes.  It  was  a  peculiar  sensation  to  be  shut  in  a  Chinese 
town  and  fairly  locked  in.  It  is  the  custom  to  close  the  gates 
of  Kiachta  and  Maimaichin  and  shut  off  all  communication 
between  sunset  and  s,unrise.  The  rule  is  less  rigidly  enforced 
than  formerly. 


INTERIOR  OF  CHINESE  TEMPLE 


RAMBLES   IN  MAIMAICHIN. 


311 


After  this  introduction  I  visited  Maimaichin  almost  every 
day  until  leaving  for  Irkutsk.  Maimaichin  means  '  place  of 
trade,'  and  the  name  was  given  by  the  officer  who  selected 
the  site.  The  town  is  occupied  by  merchants,  laborers,  and 
government  employees,  all  dwelling  without  families.  The 
sargootchay  is  changed  every  three  years,  and  it  was  hinted  * 
that  his  short  term  of  office  sufficed  to  give  him  a  fortune. 

The  houses  were  only  one  story  high  and  plastered  with 
black  mud  or  cement.  The  streets  cross  at  right  angles,  but 
are  not  very  long,  as  the  town  does  not  measure  more  than 
half  a  mile  in  any  direction.  At  the  intersection  of  the 
principal  streets  there  are  towers  two  or  three  stories  high, 
overlooking  the  town,  and  probably  intended  for  use  of  the 
police.  Few  houses  are  entered  directly  from  the  street, 
most  of  them  having  court  yards  with  gateways  just  wide 
enough  for  a  single  cart  or  carriage.  The  dwelling  rooms 
and  magazines  open  upon  the  court  yards,  which  are  provided 
with  folding  gates  heavily  barred  at  night. 

Apart  from  the  public  buildings  the  houses  were  pretty 
much  alike.  Every  court  yard  was  liberally  garnished  with 
dogs  of  the  short-nosed  and  wide-faced  breed  peculiar  to 
China.  They  were  generally  chained  and  invariably  made 
an  unpleasant  tumult.  The  dwelling  rooms,  kitchens,  and 
magazines  had  their  windows  and  doors  upon  the  yards,  the 
former  being  long  and  low  with  small  panes  of  glass,  talc,  or 
oiled  paper.  In  the  magazines  there  were  generally  two 
apartments,  one  containing  most  of  the  goods,  while  the 
other  was  more  private  and  only  entered  by  strangers  upon 
invitation.  At  the  end  of  each  room  there  was  a  divan, 
where  the  inmates  slept  at  night  or  sat  by  day.  Near  the 
edge  of  the  divan  was  a  small  furnace,  where  a  charcoal  fire 
burned  constantly.  The  rooms  were  warmed  by  furnaces 
with  pipes  passing  beneath  the  divans  or  by  Russian  stoves. 

In  every  place  I  visited  there  were  many  employees,  and  I 
did  not  understand  how  all  could  be  kept  busy.  Everything 
was  neat  and  well  arranged,  and  the  Chinese  appeared  very 
particular  on  the  subject  of  dust.    I  attempted  to  buy  a  few 


312         PRINCIPLES   OF   CHINESE  HONESTY. 

souvenirs  of  my  visit,  but  very  little  was  to  be  purchased. 
Few  strangers  come  to  Maimaichin,  and  the  merchants  have 
no  inducement  to  keep  articles  rarely  called  for. 

I  found  they  were  determined  to  make  me  pay  liberally. 
"  How  much?"  I  asked  on  picking  up  an  article  in  one  of 
their  shops.  "  Chetira  ruble"  (four  roubles)  was  the  reply. 
My  Russian  companion  whispered  me  not  to  buy,  and  after  a 
few  moments  chaffering  we  departed.  In  a  neighboring  shop 
I  purchased  something  precisely  similar  for  one  rouble,  and 
went  away  rejoicing.  On  exhibiting  my  prize  at  Kiachta  I 
learned  that  I  paid  twice  its  real  value. 

The  Chinese  merchants  are  frequently  called  scoundrels 
from  their  habit  of  overreaching  when  opportunity  occurs. 
In  some  respects  they  are  worse  and  in  others  better  than  the 
same  class  of  men  in  Western  nations.  The  practice  of  ask- 
ing much  more  than  they  expect  to  receive  prevails  through- 
out their  empire,  and  official  peculation  confined  in  certain 
limits  is  considered  entirely  consistent  with  honesty.  Their 
cheating,  if  it  can  be  called  by  that  name,  is  conducted  on 
certain  established  principles.  A  Chinese  will  4  beat  about 
the  bush,'  and  try  every  plan  to  circumvent  the  man  with 
whom  he  deals,  but  when  he  once  makes  a  bargain  he  ad- 
heres to  it  unflinchingly.  Among  the  merchants  I  was  told 
that  a  word  is  as  good  as  a  bond.  Their  slipperiness  is  con- 
fined to  preliminaries. 

China  contains  good  and  bad  like  other  countries,  but  in 
some  things  its  merchants  rank  higher  than  outside  barba- 
rians. When  the  English  were  at  war  with  the  Viceroy  of 
Canton,  the  foreigners  were  driven  out  and  compelled  to 
leave  much  property  with  Chinese  merchants.  These  Chi- 
nese never  thought  of  repudiation,  but  on  the  contrary  made 
their  way  to  Hong  Kong  during  the  blockade  of  the  Canton 
river  for  the  purpose  of  settling  with  the  foreigners. 

Old  John  Bell  of  Antermony,  who  traveled  to  Pekin  in  the 
reign  of  Peter  the  Great,  in  the  suite  of  a  Russian  Ambassa- 
dor, makes  the  following  observations  on  the  Chinese : 

"  They  are  honest,  and  observe  the  strictest  honor  and  jus- 


HOSPITALITY   OF  MERCHANTS. 


313 


tice  in  their  dealings.  It  must,  however,  be  acknowledged 
that  not  a  few  of  them  are  much  addicted  to  knavery  and 
well  skilled  in  the  art  of  cheating.  They  have,  indeed,  found 
many  Europeans  as  great  proficients  in  that  art  as  them- 
selves." 

In  the  shops  at  Maimaichin  there  is  no  display  of  goods, 
articles  being  kept  in  closets,  drawers,  show-cases,  and  on 
shelves,  whence  they  are  taken  when  called  for.  This  ar- 
rangement suggests  the  propriety  of  the  New  York  notice : 
"  If  you  don't  see  what  you  want,  ask  for  it."  Many  things 
are  kept  in  warerooms  in  other  parts  of  the  building,  and 
brought  when  demanded  or  the  merchant  thinks  he  can  effect 
a  sale.  In  this  way  they  showed  me  Thibet  sheep  skins,  in- 
tended for  lining  dressing-gowns,  and  of  the  most  luxurious 
softness.  There  were  silks  and  other  goods  in  the  piece,  but 
the  asking  prices  were  very  high.  I  bought  a  few  small  ar- 
ticles, but  was  disappointed  when  I  sought  a  respectable  as- 
sortment of  knick-knacks. 

One  of  the  merchants  admired  my  watch  and  asked  through 
my  Russian  friend  how  much  it  cost.  I  was  about  to  say  in 
Russian,  '  two  hundred  roubles,'  when  my  friend  checked  me. 

"  Dites  un  enorme  prix  ;  deux  mille  roubles  au  moins" 

Accordingly  I  fixed  the  price  at  two  thousand  roubles. 
Probably  the  Chinaman  learned  the  real  value  of  the  watch 
from  this  exaggerated  figure  better  than  if  I  had  spoken  as  I 
first  intended. 

The  merchants  were  courteous  and  appeared  to  have  plenty 
of  time  at  command.  They  brought  sweetmeats,  confection- 
ery, and  tea,  in  fact  the  latter  article  was  always  ready. 
They  gave  us  crystalized  sugar,  resembling  rock  candy,  for 
sweetening  purposes,  but  themselves  drank  tea  without  sugar 
or  milk.  They  offered  us  pipes  for  smoking,  and  in  a  few  in- 
stances Russian  cigarettes.  I  found  the  Chinese  tobacco 
very  feeble  and  the  pipes  of  limited  capacity.  It  is  doubtless 
owing  to  the  weakness  of  their  tobacco  that  they  can  smoke 
so  continuously.  The  pipe  is  in  almost  constant  requisition, 
the  operator  swallowing  the  smoke  and  emitting  it  in  a  dou- 


314 


PIGEON -  RUSSIAN   AND  CHINESE. 


THROUGH  ORDINARY  EYES. 


ble  stream  through  his  nostrils.  They  rarely  offered  us  Chi- 
nese wine,  as  that  article  is  repugnant  to  any  but  Celestials. 
Sometimes  they  brought  sherry  and  occasionally  champagne. 

I  was  interested  in  studying  the  decorations  on  window 
screens  and  fans,  and  the  various  devices  on  the  walls.  The 

Chinese  mind  runs  to 
the  hideous  in  nearly 
everything  fanciful, 
and  most  of  its  works 
of  art  abound  in  grif- 
fins and  dragons. 
Even  the  portrait  of 
a  tiger  or  other  wild 
beast  is  made  to  look 
worse  than  the  most 
savage  of  his  tribe.  If  there  ever  was  a  dog  with  a  mouth 
such  as  the  Chinese  artists  represent  on  their  canines,  he 

could  walk  down  his 
own  throat  with  very 
little  difficulty. 

The  language  spok 
en  in  the  intercourse 
of  Russians  and  Chi 
nese  at  Kiachta  is  a 
mongrel  tongue  in 
which  Russian  pre 
dominates.  1 1  i  s  a 
'  pigeon-  Russian'  exactly  analagous  to  the  4  pigeon  English ' 
of  Shanghai,  Hong  Kong,  and  San  Francisco.  The  Chinese 
at  Maimaichin  can  reckon  in  Russian  and  understand  the  ru- 
diments of  that  language  very  well.  I  observed  at  Maimai- 
chin, as  at  San  Francisco,  the  tendency  to  add  an  4  e'  sound 
to  monosyllabic  consonant  words.  A  Chinese  merchant  grew 
familiar  during  one  of  my  visits,  and  we  exchanged  lingual 
lessons  and  cards.  He  held  up  a  tea-spoon  and  a'sked  me  its 
name.  I  tried  him  repeatedly  with  4  spoon,'  but  he  would 
pronounce  it 6  spoonee '  in  spite  of  my  instructions.    When  I 


THROUGH  CHINESE  EYES 


THE   ABACUS   AND   ITS   USES.  315 

gave  him  a  card  and  called  it  such,  he  pronounced  it '  cardee.' 
His  name  was  Chy-Ping-Tong,  or  something  of  the  kind,  but 
I  was  no  more  able  to  speak  it  correctly  than  was  he  to  say 
'  spoon.'  He  wrote  his  name  in  my  note-book  and  I  wrote 
mine  in  his.  Beyond  the  knowledge  of  possessing  chiro- 
graphic specimens  of  another  language,  neither  party  is 
wiser. 

Whoever  has  visited  St.  Petersburg  or  Moscow  has  doubt- 
less seen  the  abacus,  or  calculating  machine  used  in  Russian 
shops.  It  is  found  throughout  the  empire  from  the  German 
frontier  to  Bering's  Straits,  not  only  in  the  hands  of  mer- 
chants but  in  many  private  houses.  It  consists  of  a  wooden 
frame  ordinarily  a  foot  long  and  six  inches  wide.  There  are 
ten  metal  wires  strung  across  this  frame,  and  ten  balls  of 
wood  on  each  wire.  The  Russian  currency  is  a  decimal  one, 
and  by  means  of  this  machine  computations  are  carried  on 
with  wonderful  rapidity.  I  have  seen  numbers  added  by  a 
boy  and  a  machine  faster  than  a  New  York  bank  teller  could 
make  the  same  reckoning.  It  requires  long  practice  to  be- 
come expert  in  its  use,  but  when  once  learned  it  is  preferred 
by  all  merchants,  whether  native  or  foreign. 

I  saw  the  same  machine  at  Maimaichin,  and  learned  that 
it  was  invented  by  the  Chinese.  The  Celestials  of  San  Fran- 
cisco employ  it  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  their  coun- 
trymen in  Mongolia. 

Beside  the  Chinese  dwellers  in  Maimaichin  there  are  many 
Mongol  natives  of  the  surrounding  region,  most  of  them  en- 
gaged in  transporting  merchandise  to  and  from  the  city.  I 
saw  several  trains  of  their  little  two-wheeled  carts  bringing 
tea  from  the  southward  or  departing  with  Russian  merchan- 
dise ;  and  in  one  visit  I  encountered  a  drove  of  camels  on 
the  neutral  ground. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


HAVE  already  mentioned  the  prevalence  of  feast-days, 


-L  both  national  and  personal.  During  my  stay  in  Kiachta 
there  were  several  of  these  happy  occasions,  and  I  was  told 
they  would  last  the  entire  winter.  One  man  opened  his 
house  on  his  name's  day,  and  another  on  that  of  his  wife. 
A  third  received  friends  on  the  anniversary  of  his  daughter's 
birth,  and  a  fourth  had  a  regular  house-warming.  Each 
kept  open  mansion  in  the  forenoon  and  greeted  all  who  came. 
There  was  a  grand  dinner  in  the  afternoon,  followed  by  a 
soiree  dansance  and  a  supper  at  a  late  hour.  In  a  population 
like  that  of  Kiachta  there  is  a  weekly  average  of  at  least 
three  feast  days  for  the  entire  year.  During  my  stay  Major 
Boroslofski  had  a  morning  reception  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
death  of  a  child,  but  there  was  naturally  neither  dinner  nor 
dance  after  it. 

The  dinner  and  dancing  parties  were  much  alike,  the  same 
company  being  present  at  all.  Even  the  servants  were  the 
same,  there  being  a  regular  organization  to  conduct  house- 
hold festivities.  At  the  first  dinner  I  attended  there  were 
about  forty  persons  at  table,  all  of  the  sterner  sex.  Accord- 
ing to  the  custom  among  Russian  merchants  the  ladies  were 
by  themselves  in  another  room.  Between  their  apartment 
and  ours  there  was  a  large  room,  corresponding,  as  I  thought, 
to  the  neutral  ground  between  Kiachta  and  Maimaichin. 
Doors  were  open,  and  though  nobody  occupied  the  terre  neu- 
trah  during  dinner,  both  parties  retired  to  it  at  the  end  of 
the  meal. 

The  dinner  would  have  been  a  success  in  St.  Petersburg  or 


(316) 


NOVEL   SEPARATION   OP  SEXES. 


317 


Paris ;  how  much  more  was  it  a  triumph  on  the  boundary 
between  China  and  Siberia.  Elegant  and  richly  furnished 
apartments,  expensive  table  ware,  and  a  profusion  of  all  pro- 
curable luxuries,  were  the  attractions  of  the  occasion.  We 
had  apples  from  European  Russia,  three  thousand  miles  west- 
ward, and  grapes  from  Pekin,  a  thousand  miles  to  the  south. 
There  were  liberal  quantities  of  dried  and  preserved  fruits, 
and  the  wines  were  abundant  and  excellent.  Of  the  local 
productions  we  had  many  substantial,  till  all  appetites  were 
satisfied. 

According  to  Russian  custom  the  host  does  not  partake  of 
the  dinner,  but  is  supposed  to  look  after  the  welfare  of  his 
guests.  At  Kiachta  I  found  this  branch  of  etiquette  carefully 
observed.  Two  or  three  times  during  the  dinner  the  host 
passed  around  the  entire  table  and  filled  each  person's  glass 
with  wine.  Where  he  found  an  unemptied  cup  he  urged  its 
drainage. 

After  we  left  the  table  tea  was  served,  and  I  was  fain  to 
pronounce  it  the  best  I  ever  tasted.  The  evening  entertain- 
ments for  those  who  did  not  dance  consisted  of  cards  and 
conversation,  principally  the  former.  Tea  was  frequently 
passed  around,  and  at  regular  intervals  the  servants  brought 
glasses  of  iced  champagne. 

The  houses  of  the  Kiachta  merchants  are  large  and  well 
built,  their  construction  and  adornment  requiring  much  out- 
lay. Nearly  all  the  buildings  are  of  two  stories  and  situated 
in  large  court  yards.  There  is  a  public  garden,  evidently 
quite  gay  and  pretty  in  summer.  The  church  is  said  to  be 
the  finest  edifice  of  the  kind  in  Eastern  Siberia.  The  double 
doors  in  front  of  the  altar  are  of  solid  silver,  and  said  to 
weigh  two  thousand  pounds  avoirdupois.  Besides  these  doors 
I  think  I  saw  nearly  a  ton  of  silver  in  the  various  parapher- 
nalia of  the  church.  There  were  several  fine  paintings  ex- 
ecuted in  Europe  at  heavy  cost,  and  the  floors,  walls,  and 
roof  of  the  entire  structure  were  of  appropriate  splendor. 
The  church  was  built  at  the  expense  of  the  Kiachta  mer- 
chants. 


318 


AN   INJURIOUS  TREATY. 


Troilskosavsk  contains  some  good  houses,  but  they  are  not 
equal  in  luxury  to  those  at  Kiachta.  Many  dwellings  in  the 
former  town  are  of  unpainted  logs,  and  each  town  has  its 
gastinni-dvor,  spacious  and  well  arranged.  I  visited  the 
market  place  every  morning  and  saw  curious  groups  of  Rus- 
sians, Bouriats,  Mongols,  and  Chinese,  engaged  in  that  little 
commerce  which  makes  the  picturesque  life  of  border  towns. 

From  1727  to  1860  the  Kiachta  merchants  enjoyed  almost 
a  monopoly  of  Chinese  trade.  Fortunes  there  are  estimated 
at  enormous  figures,  and  one  must  be  a  four  or  five-million- 
aire to  hold  respectable  rank.  Possibly  many  of  these  world- 
ly possessions  are  exaggerated,  as  they  generally  are  every- 
where. The  Chinese  merchants  of  Maimaichin  are  also  re- 
puted wealthy,  and  it  is  quite  likely  that  the  trade  was  equally 
profitable  on  both  sides  of  the  neutral  ground.  Money  and 
flesh  have  affinities.  These  Russian  and  Chinese  Astors  were 
almost  invariably  possessed  of  fair,  round  belly,  with  good 
capon  lined.  They  have  the  spirit  of  genuine  hospitality, 
and  practice  it  toward  friends  and  strangers  alike. 

The  treaty  of  1860,  which  opened  Chinese  ports  to  Rus- 
sian ships,  was  a  severe  blow  to  Kiachta  and  Maimaichin. 
Up  to  that  time  only  a  single  cargo  of  tea  was  carried  an- 
nually into  Russia  by  water  ;  all  the  rest  of  the  herb  used  in 
the  empire  came  by  land.  Unfortunately  the  treaty  was 
made  just  after  the  Russian  and  Chinese  merchants  had  con- 
cluded contracts  in  the  tea  districts  ;  these  contracts  caused 
great  losses  when  the  treaty  went  into  effect,  and  for  a  time 
paralized  commerce.  Kiachta  still  retains  the  tea  trade  of 
Siberia  and  sends  large  consignments  to  Nijne  Novgorod  and 
Moscow.  There  is  now  a  good  percentage  of  profit,  but  the 
competition  by  way  of  Canton  and  the  Baltic'  has  destroyed 
the  best  of  it.  Under  the  old  monopoly  the  merchants  ar- 
ranged high  prices  and  did  not  oppose  each  other  with  quick 
and  low  sales. 

The  Kiachta  teas  are  far  superior  to  those  from  Canton  and 
Shanghae.  They  come  from  the  best  districts  of  China  and 
are  picked  and  cured  with  great  care.    There  is  a  popular 


CUSTOMS   OF   THE  MERCHANTS. 


319 


notion,  which  the  Russians  encourage,  that  a  sea  voyage  in- 
jures tea,  and  this  is  cited  as  the  reason  for  the  character  of 
the  herb  brought  to  England  and  America.  I  think  the  no- 
tion incorrect,  and  believe  that  we  get  no  first  class  teas  in 
America  because  none  are  sent  there.  I  bought  a  small 
package  of  the  best  tea  at  Kiachta  and  brought  it  to  New 
York.  When  I  opened  it  I  could  not  perceive  it  had  changed 
at  all  in  flavor.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  its  like  in  Ame- 
rican tea  stores. 

Previous  to  1850  all  trade  at  Kiachta  was  in  barter,  tea 
being  exchanged  for  Russian  goods.  The  Russian  govern- 
ment prohibited  the  export  of  gold  and  silver  money,  and 
various  subterfuges  were  adopted  to  evade  the  law.  Candle- 
sticks, knives,  idols,  and  other  articles  were  made  of  pure 
gold  and  sold  by  weight.  Of  course  the  goods  were  "  of  Rus- 
sian manufacture.' ' 

Before  1860  the  importation  of  tea  at  Kiachta  was  about 
one  million  chests  annually,  and  all  of  good  quality  and  not 
including  brick  tea.  The  ^4 brick  tea"  of  Mongolia  and 
Northern  China  is  made  from 
stalks,  large  leaves,  and  refuse 
matter  generally.  This  is 
moistened  with  sheep's  or  bul 
lock's  blood  and  pressed  into 
brick-shaped  cakes.  When 
dried  it  is  ready  for  transpor- 
tation, and  largely  used  by  the 
Mongols,  Bouriats,  Tartars,  and 
the  Siberian  peasantry.  In  some  parts  of  Chinese  Tartary  it 
is  the  principal  circulating  medium  of  the  people-  Large 
quantities  are  brought  into  Siberia,  but  "  brick-tea 99  never 
enters  into  the  computation  of  Kiachta  trade. 

Since  1860  the  quantity  of  fine  teas  purchased  at  Kiachta 
has  greatly  fallen  off.  The  importation  of  brick-tea  is  undi- 
minished, and  some  authorities  say  it  has  increased. 

None  of  the  merchants  speak  any  language  but  Russian, 
and  most  of  them  are  firmly  fixed  at  Kiachta.    They  make 


LEGAL  TENDER. 


320 


FOREIGN  RESIDENTS. 


now  and  then  journeys  to  Irkutsk,  and  regard  such  a  feat 
about  as  a  countryman  on  the  Penobscot  would  regard  a  visit 
to  Boston.  The  few  who  have  been  to  Moscow  and  St.  Peters- 
burg have  a  reputation  somewhat  analogous  to  that  of  Marco 
Polo  or  John  Ledyard.  Walking  is  rarely  practiced,  and  the 
numbers  of  smart  turnouts,  compared  to  the  population,  is 
pretty  large.  There  is  no  theatre,  concert-room,  or  news- 
paper office  at  Kiachta,  and  the  citizens  rely  upon  cards,  wine, 
and  gossip  for  amusement.  They  play  much  and  win  or  lose 
large  sums  with  perfect  nonchalance.  Visitors  are  rare,  and 
the  advent  of  a  stranger  of  ordinary  consequence  is  a  great 
sensation. 

Kiachta  and  Maimaichin  stand  on  the  edge  of  a  Mongolian 
steppe  seven  or  eight  miles  wide.  Very  little  snow  falls  there 
and  that  little  does  not  long  remain.  Wheeled  carriages  are 
in  use  the  entire  year.  The  elevation  is  about  twenty-five 
hundred  feet  above  sea  level. 

There  was  formerly  a  custom  house  at  Troitskosavsk,  where 
the  duties  on  tea  were  collected.  After  the  occupation  of 
the  Amoor  the  government  opened  all  the  country  east  of 
Lake  Baikal  to  free  trade.  The  custom  house  was  removed 
to  Irkutsk,  where  all  duties  are  now  arranged. 

There  were  two  Englishmen  and  one  Frenchman  residing 
at  Kiachta.  The  latter,  Mr.  Gamier,  was  a  merchant,  and 
was  about  to  marry  a  young  and  pretty  Russian  whose  mother 
had  a.  large  fortune  and  thirteen  dogs.  The  old  lady  appeared 
perfectly  clear  headed  on  every  subject  outside  of  dogs.  A 
fortnight  before  my  visit  she  owned  fifteen,  but  the  police 
killed  two  on  a  charge  of  biting  somebody.  She  was  incon- 
solable at  their  loss,  took  her  bed  from  grief,  and  seriously 
contemplated  going  into  mourning.  I  asked  Gamier  what 
would  be  the  result  if  every  dog  of  the  thirteen  should  have 
his  day.  "Ah!"  he  replied,  with  a  sigh,  "  the  poor  lady 
could  never  sustain  it.    I  fear  it  would  cause  her  death." 

One  Englishman,  Mr.  Bishop,  had  a  telegraph  scheme 
which  he  had  vainly  endeavored  for  two  years  to  persuade 
the  stubborn  Chinese  to  look  upon  with  favor.    The  Chinese 


THE   DEVIL   AND'  THE  TELEGRAPH. 


321 


have  a  superstitious  dread  of  the  electric  telegraph,  and  the 
govern- 
ment is  un- 
willing t  o 
do  any- 
thing not 
i  n  accord- 
ance  with 
the  will  of 
the  people. 

A  few 
years  ago 
some  Ame- 
ricans at 
Shanghae 
thought  it  a 
good  specu-  * 
lation  to  g 
construct  a  % 
telegraph  h 
line  be-  ? 
tween  that 
city  and  the 
mouth  of 
the  river. 
The  dis- 
tance was 
about  fif- 
teen miles, 
and  the  line 
when  fin- 
ished ope- 
rated satis- 
factorily. 
The  Chi- 
nese made 

no  interference,  either  officially  or  otherwise,  with  its  con- 
21 


322 


FASHIONABLE  GAMBLING. 


struction.  They  did  not  understand  its  working,  but  suppos- 
ed the  foreigners  employed  agile  and  invisible  devils  to  run 
along  the  wires  and  convey  intelligence.  All  went  well  for 
a  month  or  two.  One  night  a  Chinese  happened  to  die  sud- 
denly in  a  house  that  stood  near  a  telegraph  pole.  A  know- 
ing Celestial  suggested  that  one  of  the  foreign  devils  had 
descended  from  the  wire  and  killed  the  unfortunate  native. 
A  mob  very  soon  destroyed  the  dangerous  innovation. 

The  other  Englishman,  Mr.  Grant,  was  the  projector  and 
manager  of  a  Pony  Express  from  Kiachta  to  Pekin.  He 


ers.  He  seemed  a  permanent  fixture  of  Kiachta,  as  he  had 
married  a  Russian  lady,  the  daughter  of  a  former  governor. 
All  these  foreigners  placed  me  under  obligations  for  various 
favors,  and  the  two  Britons  were  certainly  more  kind  to  me 
than  to  each  other. 

I  spent  an  evening  at  the  club-rooms,  where  there  was 
some  heavy  card-playing.  One  man  lost  nine  hundred  roubles 
in  half  an  hour,  and  they  told  me  that  such  an  occurrence 
was  not  uncommon.  In  all  card  playing  I  ever  witnessed  in 
Russia  there  was  '  something  to  make  it  interesting.'  Money 
is  invariably  staked,  and  the  Russians  were  surprised  when 
I  said,  in  answer  to  questions,  that  people  in  America  gen- 
erally indulged  in  cards  for  amusement  alone.  Ladies  had 
no  hesitation  in  gambling,  and  many  of  them  followed  it 
passionately.    6  Chaque  pays  a  sa  habitude,''  remarked  a  lady 


PONT  EXPRESS. 


forwarded  telegra  m  s 
between  London  and 
Shanghae  merchants, 
or  anf  others  who 
chose  to  employ  him. 
He  claimed  that  his 
Mongol  couriers  made 
the  journey  to  Pekin 
in  twelve  days,  and 
that  he  could  outstrip 
the  Suez  and  Ceylon 
telegraph  and  steam- 


CRIMINALS    UNDERGOING  PUNISHMENT. 


323 


one  evening  when  I  answered  her  query  about  card  playing 
in  America.  It  was  the  Russian  fashion  to  gamble,  and  no 
one  dreamed  of  making  the  slightest  concealment  of  it. 
Though  I  saw  it  repeatedly  I  could  never  rid  myself  of  a  de- 
sire to  turn  away  when  a  lady  was  reckoning  her  gains  and 
losses,  and  keeping  her  accounts  on  the  table  cover.  Russian 
card  tables  are  covered  with  green  cloth  and  provided  with 
chalk  pencils  and  brushes  for  players'  use.  Cards  are  a  gov- 
ernment monopoly. 

On  the  day  fixed  for  my  dinner  with  the  sargoochay  I  ac- 
companied the  Folice  Master  and  Captain 
Molostoff  to  Maimaichin.    As  we  entered  the 
court  yard  of  the  government  house  several 
officers  came  to  receive  us.    In  passing  the 
temple  of  Justice  I  saw  an  unfortunate  wretch 
undergoing  punishment  in  a  corner  of  the 
yard.    He  was  wearing  a  collar  about  three 
feet  in  diameter  and  made  of  four  inch  plank. 
It  was  locked  about  his  neck,  and  the  man 
bring  his  hand  to  his  head.     A  crowd  was 
culprit,  but  he  seemed  quite  unconcerned  and 
intent  upon  viewing  the  strangers.    The  Chi- 
nese have  a  system  of  yokes  a 
seem  a  refinement  of  cruelty, 
have  a  cheerful  way  of  confining 
in  a  sort  of  cage  about 
three  feet  square,  the  top 
and  bottom  being  of  plank 
and  the  sides  of  square 
sticks.    His  head  passes 
through  the  top,  which 
forms  a  collar  precisely 
like  the  one  described 
above,  while  the  sides  are 
just  long  enough  to  force 
him  to  stand  upon  the  tip 

of  his  toes  or  hang  suspended  by  his  head.    In  some  in- 


CHINESE  COLLAR 

was  unable  to 
gazing  at  the 


man 


SUSPENDED  FREEDOM. 


324 


DINING   WITH   THE  SARGOOCHAY. 


stances  a  prisoner's  head  is  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  a  heavy  cask.  He  cannot  stand  erect  without  lifting 
the  whole  weight,  and  the  cask  is  too  long  to  allow  him  to  sit 


PUNISHMENT  FOR  BURGLARY. 


down.  He  must  remain  on  his  knees  in  a  torturing  position, 
and  cannot  bring  his  hands  to  his  head.  He  relies  on  his 
friends  to  feed  him,  and  if  he  has  no  friends  he  must  starve. 
The  jailers  think  it  a  good  joke  when  a  man  loses  the  num- 
ber of  his  mess  in  this  way. 

The  sargoochay  met  us  in  the  apartment  where  our  recep- 
tion took  place.  He  seated  us  around  a  table  in  much  the 
same  manner  as  before.  While  we  waited  dinner  I  exhibited 
a  few  photographs  of  the  Big  Trees  of  California,  which  I 
took  with  me  at  Molostoff's  suggestion.  I  think  the  repre- 
sentative of  His  Celestial  Majesty  was  fairly  astonished  on 
viewing  these  curiosities.  The  interpreter  told  him  that  all 
trees  in  America  were  like  those  in  the  pictures,  and  that  we 
had  many  cataracts  four  or  five  miles  high. 

To  handle  our  food  we  had-  forks  and  chopsticks,  and  each 


SOY,   SAM-SHOO,   AND   ROAST  PIG. 


325 


guest  had  a  small  saucer  of  sot/,  or  vinegar,  at  his  right  hand. 
The  food  was  roast  pig  and  roast  duck,  cut  into  bits  the  size 
of  one's  thumb  nail,  and  each  piece  was  to  be  dipped  in  the 
vinegar  before  going  into  the 
mouth.    Then  there  were  dishes 
of  hashed  meat  or  stew,  followed 
by  minced  pies  in  miniature.  I 
was  a  little  suspicious  of  the  last 
articles  and  preferred  to  stick  to 
the  pig. 

We  had  good  claret  and  bad 
sherry,  followed  by  Chinese  wine. 
Champagne  was  brought  when  we 
began  drinking  toasts.  Chinese 
wine,  sam-shoo,  is  drank  hot,  from 
cups  holding  about  a  thimblefull. 
It  is  very  strong,  one  cup  being 
quite  sufficient.  The  historic 
Bowery  boy  drinking  a  glass  of 
Chinese  wine  might  think  he  had 
swallowed  a  pyrotechnic  display 
on  Fourth  of  July  night. 

We  conversed  as  before,  going 
through  English,  French,  Russian,  Mongol,  and  Chinese,  and 
after  dinner  smoked  our  pipes  and  cigars.  The  sargoochay 
had  a  pipe  with  a  slender  bowl  that  could  be  taken  out  for 
reloading,  like  the  shell  of  a  Remington  rifle.  A  single  whiff 
served  to  exhaust  it,  and  the  smoke  passing  through  water 
became  purified.  An  attendant  stood  near  to  manage  the 
pipe  of  His  Excellency  whenever  his  services  were  needed. 
We  endeavored  to  smoke  each  others'  pipes  and  were  quite 
satisfied  after  a  minute's  experience.  His  tobacco  was  very 
feeble,  and  I  presume  mine  was  too  strong  for  his  taste. 

The  sargoochay  had  ordered  a  theatrical  display  in  my 
honor,  though  it  was  not  6  the  season,'  and  the  affair  was 
hastily  gotten  up.  When  all  was  ready  he  led  the  way  to 
the  theatre ;  the  pipe-bearer  came  respectfully  in  our  rear, 


5 


CnOPSTICKS,  FORK,  &  SAUCER. 


326 


AN   ORIENTAL  THEATRE. 


and  behind  him  was  the  staff-  and  son  of  the  sargoochay. 
The  stage  of  the  theatre  faced  an  open  court  yard,  and  was 
provided  with  screens  and  curtains,  but  had  no  scenery  that 


CHINESE  THEATRE. 


could  be  shifted.  About  thirty  feet  in  front  of  the  stage  was 
a  pavilion  of  blue  cloth,  open  in  front  and  rear.  We  were 
seated  around  a  table  under  this  pavilion,  and  drank  tea  and 
smoked  while  the  performance  was  in  progress.  There  was 
a  crowd  of  two  or  three  hundred  Chinese  between  the  pavil- 
ion and  the  stage.  The  Mongol  soldiers  kept  an  open  pass- 
age five  or  six  feet  wide  in  front  of  us  so  that  we  had  an  un- 
obstructed view. 

A  comedy  came  first,  and  I  had  little  difficulty  in  following 


A   PROCESSION   OF  ANIMALS. 


327 


the  story  by  the  pantomime  alone.  Female  characters  were 
represented  by  men,  Chinese  law  forbidding  women  to  act  on 
the  stage.  Certain  parts  of  the  play  were  open  to  objections 
on  account  of  immodesty,  but  when  no  ladies  are  present  I 
presume  a  Chinese  audience  is  not  fastidious.  The  comedy 
was  followed  by  something  serious,  of  which  I  was  unable  to 
learn  the  name.  I  supposed  it  represented  the  superiority  of 
the  deities  over  the  living  things  of  earth. 

First,  there  came  representations  of  different  animals. 
There  were  the  tiger,  bear,  leopard,  and  wolf,  with  two  or 
three  beasts  whose  genera  and  species  I  could  not  determine. 
There  was  an  ostrich  and  an  enormous  goose,  both  holding 
their  heads  high,  while  a  crocodile,  or  something  like  it, 
brought  up  the  rear.  Each  beast  and  bird  was  made  of 
painted  cloth  over  light  framework,  with  a  man  inside  to 
furnish  action.  While  the  tiger  was  making  himself  savage 
the  mask  fell  off,  and 
revealed  the  head  of 
a  Chinese.  A  rent  in 
the  skin  of  the  ostrich 
disclosed  the  arm  of 
the  performer  inside. 
The  animals  were  not 
very  well  made,  and 
the  accident  to  the 
tiger's  head  reminded 
me  of  the  Bowery  ele- 
phant whose  hind  legs 
became  very  drunk  and  fell  among  the  orchestra,  leaving  the 
fore  legs  to  finish  the  play. 

Each  animal  made  a  circuit  of  the  stage,  bowed  to  the  sar- 
goochay,  and  retired.  Then  came  half  a  dozen  performers, 
only  one  being  visible  at  a  time.  They  were  dressed,  as  I 
conjectured,  to  represent  Chinese  divinities,  and  as  each  ap- 
peared upon  the  stage  he  made  a  short  recitation  in  a  bom- 
bastic tone.  The  costumes  of  these  actors  were  brilliantly 
decorated  with  metal  ornaments,  and  there  was  a  luxuriance 


CHINESE  TIGEE. 


328 


RUSSIAN   OFFICIALS   AT  KIACHTA. 


of  beard  on  most  of  the  performer's  faces,  quite  in  contrast 
to  the  scanty  growth  which  nature  gave  them.  When  the 
deities  were  assembled  the  animals  returned  and  prostrated 
themselves  in  submission.  A  second  speech  from  each  actor 
closed  the  theatrical  display.  During  all  the  time  we  sat 
under  the  pavilion  the  crowd  looked  at  me  far  more  intently 
than  at  the  stage.  An  American  was  a  great  curiosity  in  the 
city  limits  of  Maimaichin. 

The  performance  began  about  two  o'clock  and  lasted  less 
than  an  hour.  At  its  close  we  thanked  the  sargoochay  for 
his  courtesy,  and  returned  to  Kiachta.  One  of  my  Russian 
acquaintances  had  invited  me  to  dine  with  him ;  "  you  can 
dine  with  the  sargoochay  at  one  o'clock,"  he  said,  "  and  will 
be  entirely  able  to  enjoy  my  dinner  two  hours  later."  I  found 
the  dinner  at  Maimaichin  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  than  the 
stomach,  and  returned  with  a  good  appetite. 

Some  years  ago  the  Russian  government  abolished  the  of- 
fice of  Governor  of  Kiachta  and  placed  its  military  and  kind- 
red affairs  in  the  hands  of  the  Chief  of  Police.  Diplomatic 
matters  were  entrusted  to  a  '  Commissary  of  the  Frontier,' 
who  resided  at  Kiachta,  while  the  Chief  of  Police  dwelt  at 
Troitskosavsk.  When  1  arrived  there,  Mr.  Pfaffius,  the  Com- 
missary of  the  Frontier,  was  absent,  though  hourly  expected 
from  Irkutsk. 

Mr.  Pfaffius  arrived  on  the  third  day  of  my  visit,  and  in- 
vited me  to  a  dinner  at  his  house  on  the  afternoon  of  my  de- 
parture for  Irkutsk.  As  the  first  toast  of  the  occasion  he 
proposed  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  regretted 
deeply  the  misfortune  that  prevented  his  drinking  the  health 
of  Mr.  Lincoln.  In  a  few  happy  remarks  he  touched  upon 
the  cordial  feeling  between  the  two  nations,  and  his  utterance 
of  good-will  toward  the  United  States  was  warmly  applauded 
by  all  the  Russians  present.  In  proposing  the  health  of  the 
Emperor  I  made  the  best  return  in  my  power  for  the  courtesy 
of  my  Muscovite  friends. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


IN  the  year  1786  a  vessel  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
burden  sailed  from  an  American  port  for  Canton.  She 
was  the  first  to  carry  the  flag  of  the  United  States  to  the 
shores  of  Cathay,  and  to  begin  a  commerce  that  has  since 
assumed  enormous  proportions.  European  nations  had  car- 
ried on  a  limited  trade  with  the  Chinese  before  that  time,  but 
they  were  restricted  to  a  single  port,  and  their  jealousy  of 
each  other  prevented  their  adopting  those  measures  of  co-op- 
eration that  have  recently  proved  so  advantageous.  China 
was  averse  to  opening  her  territory  to  foreign  merchants,  and 
regarded  with  suspicion  all  their  attempts  to  gain  a  foothold 
upon  her  soil.  On  the  north,  since  1727,  the  Russians  had  a 
single  point  of  commercial  exchange.  In  the  south  Canton 
was  the  only  port  open  to  those  who  came  to  China  by  sea, 
while  along  the  coast -line,  facing  to  the  eastward,  the  ports 
were  sealed  against  foreign  intrusion.  Commerce  between 
China  and  the  outer  world  was  hampered  by  many  restric- 
tions, and  only  its  great  profits  kept  it  alive.  But  once  fairly 
established,  the  barbarian  merchants  taught  the  slow-learning 
Chinese  that  the  trade  brought  advantage  to  all  engaged  in 
it.  Step  by  step  they  pressed  forward,  to  open  new  ports  and 
extend  commercial  relations,  which  were  not  likely  to  be  dis- 
continued, if  only  a  little  time  were  allowed  to  show  their 
value. 

As  years  rolled  on,  trade  with  China  increased.  For  a 
long  time  the  foreigners  trading  with  China  had  no  direct  in- 
tercourse with  the  General  Government,  but  dealt  only  with 
the  local  and  provincial  authorities.    It  was  not  until  after 

(329) 


330     STEAM   NAVIGATION   OF   CHINESE  WATERS. 

the  famous  "Opium  War"  that  diplomatic  relations  were 
opened  with  the  court  at  Pekin,  and  a  common  policy  adopted 
for  all  parts  of  the  empire,  in  its  dealings  with  the  outer 
world.  Considering  the  extremely  conservative  character  of 
the  Chinese,  their  adherence  to  old  forms  and  customs,  their 
general  unwillingness  to  do  differently  from  their  ancestors, 
and  the  not  over-amiable  character  of  the  majority  of  the 
foreigners  that  went  there  to  trade,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
many  years  were  required  for  commercial  relations  to  grow 
up  and  become  permanent.  The  wars  between  China  and 
the  Western  powers  did  more  than  centuries  of  peace  could 
have  done  to  open  the  Oriental  eyes.  Austria's  defeat  on 
the  field  of  Sadowa  advanced  and  enlightened  her  more  than 
a  hundred  years  of  peace  and  victory  could  have  done,  at  her 
old  rate  of  progress.  The  victories  of  the  allied  forces  in 
China,  culminating  in  the  capture  of  Pekin  and  dictation  of 
terms  by  the  foreign  leaders,  opened  the  way  for  a  free  inter- 
course between  the  East  and  West,  and  the  immense  advan- 
tages that  an  unrestricted  commerce  is  sure  to  bring  to  an  in- 
dustrious, energetic,  and  economical  people. 

With  a  river-system  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  na- 
tion of  the  world,  China  relied  upon  navigation  by  junks, 
which  crept  slowly  against  the  current  when  urged  by  strong 
winds,  and  lay  idle  or  were  towed  or  poled  by  men  when 
calms  or  head-breezes  prevailed.  Of  steam  applied  to  pro- 
pulsion, she  had  no  knowledge,  until  steamboats  of  foreign 
construction  appeared  in  her  waters  and  roused  the  wonder 
of  the  oblique-eyed  natives  by  their  mysterious  powers.  The 
first  steamboat  to  ascend  a  Chinese  river  created  a  greater 
sensation  than  did  the  Clermont  on  her  initial  voyage  along 
the  Hudson  or  her  Western  prototype,  several  years  later, 
among  the  Indians  of  the  upper  Missouri.*    In  1839  the  first 

*  A  gentleman  once  dcscril>cd  to  me  the  sensation  produced  by  the  first  steam 
vessel  that  ascended  one  of  the  Chinese  rivers.  "  It  was,"  said  he,  "  a  screw 
steamer,  and  we  were  burning  anthracite  coal  that  made  no  smoke.  The  cur- 
rent was  about  two  miles  an  hour,  and  with  wind  and  water  unfavorable,  the 
Chinese  boats  bound  upward  were  slowly  dragged  by  men  pulling  at  long  tow- 
lines.    We  steamed  up  the  middle  of  the  stream,  going  as  rapidly  as  we  dared 


TONNAGE   OF   STEAM  VESSELS. 


331 


steam  venture  was  made  in  China.  An  English  house  placed 
a  boat  on  the  route  between  Canton  and  Macao,  and  adver- 
tised it  to  cany  freight  and  passengers  on  stated  days.  For 
the  first  six  months  the  passengers  averaged  about  a  dozen  to 
each  trip — half  of  them  Europeans,  and  the  rest  natives. 
The  second  half-year  the  number  of  native  patrons  increased, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  second  year  the  boat,  on  nearly  every 
trip,  was  filled  with  Chinese.  The  trade  became  so  lucrative 
that  another  boat  was  brought  from  England  and  placed  on 
the  route,  which  continued  to  be  a  source  of  profit  until  the 
business  was  overdone  by  opposition  lines.  As  soon  as  the 
treaties  permitted,  steamers  were  introduced  into  the  coasting- 
trade  of  China,  and  subsequently  upon  the  rivers  and  other 
inland  waters.  The  Chinese  merchants  perceived  the  im- 
portance of  rapid  and  certain  transportation  for  their  goods 
in  place  of  the  slow  and  unreliable  service  of  their  junks,  and 
the  advance  in  rates  was  overbalanced  by  the  increased  facil- 
ities and  the  opportunities  of  the  merchants  to  make  six 
times  as  many  ventures  annually  as  by  the  old  system. 

Probably  there  is  no  people  in  the  world  that  can  be  called 
a  nation  of  shop-keepers  more  justly  than  the  Chinese  ;  thou- 
sands upon  thousands  of  them  are  engaged  in  petty  trade, 
and  the  competition  is  very  keen.  Of  course,  where  there  is 
an  active  traffic  the  profits  are  small,  and  any  thing  that  can 
assist  the  prompt  delivery  of  merchandise  and  the  speedy 
transmission  of  intelligence,  money,  credits,  or  the  merchant 
himself,  is  certain  to  be  brought  into  full  use.  No  accurate 
statistics  are  at  hand  of  the  number  of  foreign  steamers  now 
in  China,  but  well-informed  parties  estimate  the  burden  of 

with  our  imperfect  knowledge,  and  the  necessity  of  constant  sounding.  Our 
propeller  was  quite  beneath  the  water,  and  so  for  as  outward  appearance  went 
there  was  no  visible  power  to  move  us.  Chinamen  are  generally  slow  to  mani- 
fest astonishment,  and  not  easily  frightened,  but  their  excitement  on  that  occa- 
sion was  hardly  within  bounds.  Men,  women,  and  children  ran  to  see  the  mon- 
ster, and  after  gazing  a  few  moments  a  fair  proportion  of  them  took  to  their  heels 
for  safety.  Dogs  barked  and  yelped  on  all  the  notes  of  the  chromatic  scale,  oc- 
casional boats'  crews  jumped  to  the  shore,  and  those  who  stuck  to  their  oars  did 
their  best  to  get  out  of  our  way." 


332 


INCREASE   OF  COMMERCE. 


American  coasting  and  river-vessels  at  upward  of  thirty  thou- 
sand tons,  while  that  of  other  nationalities  is  much  larger. 
Steamboats,  with  a  burden  of  more  than  ten  thousand  tons, 
are  owned  by  Chinese  merchants,  and  about  half  that  quan- 
tity is  the  joint  property  of  Chinese  and  foreigners.  In  man- 
aging their  boats  and  watching  the  current  expenses,  the 
Chinese  are  quite  equal  to  the  English  and  Americans,  and 
are  sometimes  able  to  carry  freight  upon  terms  ruinous  to 
foreign  competitors. 

Foreign  systems  of  banking  and  insurance  have  been 
adopted,  and  work  successfully.  The  Chinese  had  a  mode  of 
banking  long  before  the  European  nations  possessed  much 
knowledge  of  financial  matters ;  and  it  is  claimed  that  the 
first  circulating-notes  and  bills-of-credit  ever  issued  had  their 
origin  during  a  monetary  pressure  at  Pekin.  But  they  were 
so  unprogressive  that,  when  intercourse  was  opened  with  the 
Western  World,  they  found  their  own  system  defective,  and 
were  forced  to  adopt  the  foreign  innovation.  Insurance  com- 
panies were  first  owned  and  managed  by  foreigners  at  the 
open  ports,  and  as  soon  as  the  plan  of  securing  themselves 
against  loss  by  casualties  was  understood  by  the  Chinese 
merchants,  they  began  to  form  companies  on  their  own  ac- 
count, and  carry  their  operations  to  the  interior  of  the  em- 
pire. All  the  intricacies  of  the  insurance  business — even  to 
the  formation  of  fraudulent  companies,  with  imaginary  offi- 
cers, and  an  explosion  at  a  propitious  moment — are  fully  un- 
derstood and  practised  by  the  Chinese. 

By  the  facilities  which  the  advent  of  foreigners  has  intro- 
duced to  the  Chinese,  the  native  trade  along  the  rivers  and 
with  the  open  ports  has  rapidly  increased.  On  the  rivers  and 
along  the  coast  the  steamers  and  native  boats  are  actively 
engaged,  and  the  population  of  the  open  ports  has  largely  in- 
creased in  consequence  of  the  attractions  offered  to  the  peo- 
ple of  all  grades  and  professions.  The  greatest  extension  has 
been  in  the  foreign  trade,  which,  from  small  beginnings,  now 
amounts  to  more  than  nine  hundred  millions  of  dollars  an- 
nually.   Where  formerly  a  dozen  or  more  vessels  crept  into 


AMERICAN  DIPLOMACY. 


333 


Canton  yearly,  there  are  now  hundreds  of  ships  and  steamers 
traversing  the  ocean  to  and  from  the  accessible  points  of  the 
coast  of  the  great  Eastern  Empire.  America  has  a  large 
share  of  this  commerce  with  China,  and  from  the  little  be- 
ginning, in  1786,  she  has  increased  her  maritime  service,  un- 
til she  now  has  a  fleet  of  sailing  ships  second  to  none  in  the 
world,  and  a  line  of  magnificent  steamers  plying  regularly 
across  the  Pacific,  and  bringing  the  East  in  closer  alliance 
with  the  West  than  ever  before. 

Railways  will  naturally  follow  the  steamboat,  and  an  Eng- 
lish company  is  now  arranging  to  supply  the  Chinese  with  a 
railway-system  to  connect  the  principal  cities,  and  especially 
to  tap  the  interior  districts,  where  the  water  communications 
are  limited.  There  is  no  regular  system  of  mail-communica- 
tion in  China;  the  Government  transmits  intelligence  by 
means  of  couriers,  and  when  merchants  have  occasion  to 
communicate  with  persons  at  a  distance  they  use  private  ex- 
presses. Foreign  and  native  merchants,  doing  an  extensive 
business,  keep  swift  steamers,  which  they  use  as  despatch- 
boats,  and  sometimes  send  them  at  heavy  expense  to  transmit 
single  messages.  It  has  happened  that,  on  a  sudden  change 
of  markets,  two  or  more  houses  in  Hong  Kong  or  Shanghae 
have  despatched  boats  at  the  same  moment ;  and  some  inter- 
esting and  exciting  races  are  recorded  in  the  local  histories. 

The  barriers  of  Chinese  exclusion  were  broken  down  when 
the  treaties  of  the  past  ten  years  opened  the  empire  to  for- 
eigners, and  placed  the  name  of  China  on  the  list  of  diplo- 
matic and  treaty  powers.  The  last  stone  of  the  wall  that 
shut  the  nation  from  the  outer  world  was  overthrown  when 
the  court  at  Pekin  sent  an  embassy,  headed  by  a  distinguished 
American,  to  visit  the  capitals  of  the  Western  nations,  and 
cement  the  bonds  of  friendship  between  the  West  and  the 
East.  It  was  eminently  fitting  that  an  American  should  be 
selected  as  the  head  of  this  embassy,  and  eminently  fitting, 
too,  that  the  ambassador  of  the  oldest  nation  should  first  visit 
the  youngest  of  all  the  great  powers  of  the  world.  America, 
just  emerged  from  the  garments  of  childhood,  and  with  full 


334 


PIGEON-ENGLISH. 


pride  and  consciousness  of  its  youthful  strength,  presents  to 
ruddy  England,  smiling  France,  and  the  other  members  of 
the  family  of  nations,  graybcard  and  dignified  China,  who 
expresses  joy  at  the  introduction,  and  hopes  for  a  better  ac- 
quaintance in  the  years  that  are  to  come. 

During  his  residence  at  Pekin,  Mr.  Burlingame  interested 
himself  in  endeavoring  to  introduce  the  telegraph  into  China, 
and  though  meeting  with  opposition  on  account  of  certain 
superstitions  of  the  Chinese,  he  was  ultimately  successful. 
The  Chinese  do  not  understand  the  working  of  the  telegraph 
— at  least  the  great  majority  of  them  do  not — and  like  many 
other  people  elsewhere,  with  regard  to  any  thing  incompre- 
hensible, they  are  inclined  to  ascribe  it  to  a  satanic  origin. 
In  California,  the  Chinese  residents  make  a  liberal  use  of  the 
telegraph ;  though  they  do  not  trouble  themselves  with  an 
investigation  of  its  workings,  they  fully  appreciate  its  import- 
ance. John,  in  California,  is  at  liberty  to  send  his  messages 
in  "  pigeon-English,"  and  very  funny  work  he  makes  of  it 
occasionally.  Chin  Lung,  in  Sacramento,  telegraphs  to  Ming 
Yup,in  San  Francisco,  "  You  me  send  one  piecee  me  trunk," 
which  means,  in  plain  language,  "  Send  me  my  trunk."  Mr. 
Yup  complies  with  the  request,  and  responds  by  telegraph, 
"  Me  you  trunkee  you  sendee."  The  inventor  of  pigeon-Eng- 
lish is  unknown,  and  it  is  well  for  his  name  that  it  has  not 
been  handed  down ;  he  deserves  the  execration  of  all  who 
are  compelled  to  use  the  legacy  he  has  left.  It  is  just  as 
difficult  for  a  Chinese  to  learn  pigeon-English  as  it  would  be 
to  learn  pure  and  honest  English,  and  it  is  about  as  intelligi- 
ble as  Greek  or  Sanscrit  to  a  newly-arrived  foreigner.  In 
Shanghae  or  Hong  Kong,  say  to  your  Chinese  ma-foo,  who 
claims  to  speak  English,  "  Bring  me  a  glass  of  water,"  and 
he  will  not  understand  you.  Repeat  your  order  in  those 
words,  and  he  stands  dumb  and  uncomprehending,  as  though 
you  had  spoken  the  dialect  of  the  moon.  But  if  you  say, 
"  You  go  me  catchee  bring  one  piecee  glass  water ;  savey," 
and  his  tawny  face  beams  intelligence  as  he  obeys  the  order. 

In  the  phrase,  "  pigeon-English,"  the  word  pigeon  means 


CHINA    FREE   TO  TRAVELERS. 


335 


"  business,"  and  the  expression  would  be  more  intelligible  if 
it  were  "  business-English."  Many  foreigners  living  in  China 
have  formed  the  habit  of  using  this  and  other  words  in  their 
Chinese  sense,  and  sometimes  one  hears  an  affair  of  business 
called  "  a  pigeon."  A  gentleman  whom  I  met  in  China  used 
to  tell,  with  a  great  deal  of  humor,  his  early  experiences  with 
the  language. 

"  When  I  went  to  Shanghae,"  said  he,  "I  had  an  introduc- 
tion to  a  prominent  merchant,  who  received  me  very  kindly, 
and  urged  me  to  call  often  at  his  office.  A  day  or  two  later 
I  called,  and  inquired  for  him.  4  Won't  be  back  for  a  week 
or  two,'  said  the  clerk  ;  '  he  has  gone  into  the  country,  about 
two  hundred  miles,  after  a  little  pigeon.'  I  asked  no  ques- 
tions, but  as  I  bowed  myself  out,  I  thought,  6  He  must  be  a 
fool,  indeed.  Go  two  hundred  miles  into  the  country  after  a 
pigeon,  and  a  little  one  at  that !  He  has  lost  his  senses,  if 
he  ever  possessed  any.' " 

Nearly  all  the  trade  with  China  is  carried  on  at  the  South- 
ern and  Eastern  ports,  and  comparatively  few  of  the  foreign 
merchants  in  China  have  ever  been  at  Pekin,  which  was 
opened  only  a  few  years  ago.  But  the  war  with  the  allied 
powers,  the  humiliation  of  the  government,  the  successes  of 
the  rebels,  and  the  threatened  extinction  of  the  ruling  dy- 
nasty, led  to  important  changes  of  policy.  The  treaty  of 
Tientsin,  in  1860,  opened  the  empire  as  it  had  never  been 
open  before.  Foreigners  could  travel  in  China  where  they 
wished,  for  business  or  pleasure,  and  the  navigable  rivers 
were  declared  free  to  foreign  boats.  Pekin  was  opened  to 
travelers  but  not  to  foreign  merchants  ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
commerce  will  be  carried  to  that  city  before  long.  There  is 
an  extensive  trade  at  Tientsin,  ninety  miles  south  of  the  cap- 
ital, and  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  Varry  it  to  the  doors 
of  the  palace  of  the  Celestial  ruler,  the  diplomats  will  not  be 
slow  to  find  a  sufficient  pretext  for  it. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


THE  great  cities  of  China  are  very  much  alike  in  their 
general  features.  None  of  them  have  wide  streets, 
except  in  the  foreign  quarters,  and  none  of  them  are  clean ; 
in  their  abundance  of  dirt  they  can  even  excel  New  York, 
and  it  would  be  worth  the  while  for  the  rulers  of  the  Ameri- 
can metropolis  to  visit  China  and  see  how  filthy  a  city  can  be 
made  without  half  trying.  The  most  interesting  city  in 
China  is  Pekin,  for  the  reason  that  it  has  long  been  the  capi- 
tal, and  contains  many  monuments  of  the  past  greatness  and 
the  glorious  history  of  the  Celestial  empire.  Its  temples  are 
massive,  and  show  that  the  Chinese,  hundreds  of  years  ago, 
were  no  mean  architects ,  its  walls  could  resist  any  of  the 
ordinary  appliances  of  war  before  the  invention  of  artillery, 
and  even  the  tombs  of  its  rulers  are  monuments  of  skill  and 
patience  that  awaken  the  admiration  of  every  beholder. 
Throughout  China  Pekin  is  reverentially  regarded,  and  in 
many  localities  the  man  who  has  visited  it  is  regarded  as  a 
hero.  Though  the  capital,  it  is  the  most  northern  city  of 
large  population  in  the  whole  empire. 

Pekin  is  divided  into  the  Chinese  city  and  the  Tartar  one , 
the  division  was  made  at  the  time  of  the  Tartar  conquest,  and 
for  many  years  the  two  people  refused  to  associate  freely.  A 
wall  separates  the  cities ;  the  gates  through  it  are  closed  at 
night,  and  only  opened  when  sufficient  reason  is  given.  If 
the  party  who  desires  to  pass  the  gate  can  give  no  verbal  ex- 
cuse he  has  only  to  drop  some  money  in  the  hands  of  the 
gate-keeper,  and  the  pecuniary  apology  is  considered  entirely 
satisfactory.    Time  has  softened  the  asperities  of  Tartar  and 

(336) 


TARTAR   AND   CHINESE  PEKIN. 


337 


Chinese  association,  so  that  the  two  people  mingle  freely,  and 
it  is  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  distinguish  one  from  the 
other.  Many  Chinese  live  in  the  Tartar  town  and  transact 
business,  and  I  fancy  that  they  would  not  always  find  it  easy 
to  explain  their  pedigree,  or,  at  all  events,  that  of  some  of 
their  children.  The  foreign  legations  are  in  the  Tartar  city, 
for  the  reason  that  the  government  offices  are  there,  and  also 
for  the  reason  that  it  is  the  most  pleasant,  (or  the  least  un- 
pleasant,) part  of  Pekin  to  reside  in.  All  the  embassies  have 
spacious  quarters,  with  the  exception  of  the  Russian  one, 
which  is  the  oldest ;  when  it  was  established  there  it  was  a 
great  favor  to  be  allowed  any  residence  whatever. 

From  the  center  gate  between  the  Chinese  and  Tartar 
cities  there  is  a  street  two  or  three  miles  long,  and  having 


PROVISION  DEALER. 


the  advantages  of  being  wide,  straight,  and  dirty.    It  is 
blocked  up  with  all  sorts  of  huckster's  stalls  and  shops,  and 
is  kept  noisy  with  the  shouts  of  the  people  who  have  innu- 
22 


338  CHINESE   RAT   PEDDLERS   AND  JUGGLERS. 

merablc  articles  for  sale.  Especially  in  summer  is  there  a 
liberal  assemblage  of  peddlers,  jugglers,  beggars,  donkey 
drivers,  merchants,  idlers,  and  all  the  other  professions  and 
non-professions  that  go  to  make  up  a  population.  The  ped- 
dlers have  fruit  and  other  edibles,  not  omitting  an  occasional 
string  of  rats  suspended  from  bamboo  poles,  and  attached  to 
cards  on  which  the  prices,  and  sometimes  the  excellent  qual- 
ities of  the  rodents,  are  set  forth.  It  is  proper  to  remark 
that  the  Chinese  are  greatly  slandered  on  the  rat  question. 
As  a  people  they  are  not  given  to  eating  these  little  animals ; 
it  is  only  among  the  poorer  classes  that  they  are  tolerated, 
and  then  only  because  they  are  the  cheapest  food  that  can  be 
obtained.  I  was  always  suspicious  when  the  Chinese  urged 
me  to  partake  of  little  meat  pies  and  dumplings,  whose  com- 
ponents I  could  only  guess  at,  and  when  the  things  were 
forced  upon  me  I  proclaimed  a  great  fondness  for  stewed 
duck  and  chicken,  which  were  manifestly  all  right.  But  I 
frankly  admit  that  I  do  not  believe  they  would  have  inveigled 
me  into  swallowing  articles  to  which  the  European  mind  is 
prejudiced,  and  my  aversion  arose  from  a  general  repugnance 
to  hash  in  all  forms — a  repugnance  which  had  its  origin  in 
American  hotels  and  restaurants. 

The  jugglers  are  worth  a  little  notice,  more  I  believe  than 
they  obtain  from  their  countrymen.  They  attract  good  au- 
diences along  the  great  street  of  Pekin,  but  after  swallowing 
enough  stone  to  load  a  pack-mule,  throwing  up  large  bricks 
and  allowing  them  to  break  themselves  on  his  head,  and 
otherwise  amusing  the  crowd  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  the  poor 
necromancer  cannot  get  cash  enough  to  buy  himself  a  dinner. 
Those  who  feel  disposed  to  give  are  not  very  liberal,  and  their 
donations  are  thrown  into  the  ring  very  much  as  one  would 
toss  a  bone  to  a  bull-dog.  Sometimes  a  man  will  stand  with 
a  white  painted  board,  slightly  covered  with  thick  ink,  and 
while  talking  with  his  auditors  he  will  throw  off,  by  means 
of  his  thumb  and  fingers,  excellent  pictures  of  birds  and 
fishes,  with  every  feather,  tin,  and  scale  done  with  accuracy. 
Such  genius  ought  to  be  rewarded,  but  it  rarely  receives  pecu- 


BEGGING   IN  CHINA. 


339 


niary  recognition  enough  to  enable  its  possessor  to  dress  de- 
cently. Other  slight-of-hand  performances  abound ;  the  Chi- 
nese are  very  skillful  at  little  games  of  thimble-rig  and  the 
like,  and  when  a  stranger  chooses  to  make  a  bet  on  their 
operations  they  are  sure  to  take  in  his  money.  In  sword- 
swallowing  and  knife-throwing,  the  natives  of  the  Flowery 
Kingdom  are  without  rivals,  and  the  uninitiated  spectator  can 
never  understand  how  a  man  can  make  a  breakfast  of  Asiatic 
cutlery  without  incurring  the  risk  of  dyspepsia. 

China  is  the  paradise  of  beggars — I  except  Italy  from  the 
mendicant  list — so  far  as  numbers  are  concerned,  though  they 


CHINESE  MENDICANTS. 


do  not  appear  to  flourish  and  live  in  comfort.  There  are 
many  dwarfs,  and  it  is  currently  reported  at  Pekin  that  they 
are  produced  and  cultivated  for  the  special  purpose  of  asking 
alms.  One  can  be  very  liberal  in  China  at  small  expense,  as 
the  smallest  coin  is  worth  only  one-fifteenth  of  a  cent,  and  a 


340 


A   NOVEL   LODGING  HOUSE. 


shilling's  worth  of  u  cash"  can  be  made  to  go  a  great  way  if 
the  giver  is  judicious.  Many  of  the  beggars  are  blind,  and 
they  sometimes  walk  in  single  file  under  the  direction  of  a 
chief ;  they  are  nearly  all  musicians,  and  make  the  most  hid- 
eous noises,  which  they  call  melody.  Anybody  with  a  sensi- 
tive ear  will  pay  them  to  move  on  where  they  will  annoy 
somebody  beside  himself.  Many  of  the  beggars  are  almost 
naked,  and  they  attract  attention  by  striking  their  hands 
against  their  hips  and  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 
One  day  the  wife  of  the  French  minister  at  Pekin  gave  some 
garments  to  those  who  were  the  most  shabbily  dressed ;  the 
next  morning  they  returned  as  near  naked  as  ever,  and  some 
of  them  entirely  so. 

Outside  of  the  Tartar  city  there  is  a  beggar's  lodging  house, 
which  bears  the  name  of  "  the  House  of  the  Hen's  Feathers." 
It  is  a  hall,  with  a  floor  of  solid  earth  and  a  roof  of  thin 
laths  caulked  and  plastered  with  mud.  The  floor  is  covered 
with  a  thick  bed  of  feathers,  which  have  been  gathered  in 
the  markets  and  restaurants  of  Pekin,  without  much  regard 
to  their  cleanliness.  There  is  an  immense  quilt  of  thick  felt 
the  exact  size  of  the  hall,  and  raised  and  lowered  by  means 
of  mechanism.  When  the  curfew  tolls  the  knell  of  parting 
day,  the  beggars  flock  to  this  house,  and  are  admitted  on  pay- 
ment of  a  small  fee.  They  take  whatever  places  they  like, 
and  at  an  appointed  time  the  quilt  is  lowered.  Each  lodger 
is  at  liberty  to  lie  coiled  up  in  the  feathers,  or  if  he  has  a 
prejudice  in  favor  of  fresh  air,  he  can  stick  his  head  through 
one  of  the  numerous  holes  that  the  coverlid  contains. 

A  view  of  this  quilt  when  the  heads  are  protruding  is  sug- 
gestive of  an  appartment  where  dozens  of  dilapidated  Chinese 
have  been  decapitated.  All  night  long  the  lodgers  keep  up  a 
frightful  noise ;  the  proprietor,  like  the  individual  in  the 
same  business  in  New  York,  will  tell  you,  "  I  sells  the  place 
to  sleep,  but  begar,  I  no  sells  the  sleep  with  it."  The  couch 
is  a  lively  one,  as  the  feathers  are  a  convenient  warren  for  a 
miscellaneous  lot  of  living  things  not  often  mentioned  in 
polite  society. 


SMALL-FOOTED  WOMEN. 


341 


In  the  southern  cities  of  China  one  sees  fewer  women  in 
the  street  than  in  the  north.  Those  that  appear  in  public  are 
always  of  the  poorer  classes,  and  it  is  rare  indeed  that  one 
can  get  a  view  of  the  famous  small-footed  women.  The  odi- 
ous custom  of  compressing  the  feet  is  much  less  common  at 
Pekin  than  in  the  southern  provinces.  The  Manjour  emper- 
ors of  China  opposed  it  ever  since  their  dynasty  ascended  the 
throne,  and  on  several  occasions  they  issued  severe  edicts 
against  it.  The  Tartar  and  Chinese  ladies  that  compose  the 
court  of  the  empresses  have  their  feet  of  the  natural  size,  and 
the  same  is  the  case  with  the  wives  of  many  of  the  officials. 
But  such  is  the  power  of  fashion  that  many  of  these  ladies 
have  adopted  the  theatrical  slipper,  which  is  very  difficult  to 
walk  with.  No  one  can  tell  where  the  custom  of  compress- 
ing the  feet  originated,  but  it  is  said  that  one  of  the  empresses 
was  bom  with  deformed  feet,  and  set  the  fashion,  which  soon 
spread  through  the  empire.  The  jealousy  of  the  men  and 
the  idleness  and  vanity  of  the  women  have  served  to  continue 
the  custom.  Every 
Chinese  who  can  af- 
ford it  will  have  at 
least  one  small-footed 
wife,  and  she  is  main- 
tained in  the  most 
perfect  indolence. 
For  a  woman  to  have 
a  small  foot  is  to  show 
that  she  is  of  high 
birth  and  rich  family, 
and  she  would  con- 
sider herself  dishon- 
ored if  her  parents 
failed  to  compress  her  feet. 

When  remonstrated  with  about  the  practice,  the  Chinese 
retort  by  calling  attention  to  the  compression  of  the  waist  as 
practiced  in  Europe  and  America.  "  It  is  all  a  matter  of 
taste,"  said  a  Chinese  merchant  one  day  when  addressed  on 


THE  FAVORITE. 


342 


GAMBLING   AMONG   THE  CELESTIALS. 


the  subject.    "  We  like  women  with  small  feet  and  you  like 
them  with  small  waists.    What  is  the  difference  ? " 
And  what  is  the  difference  ? 

The  compression  is  begun  when  a  girl  is  six  years  old,  and 
is  accomplished  with  strong  bandages.    The  great  toe  is 


of  years  the  foot  has  assumed  the  desired  shape  and  ceased 
to  grow. 

Yery  often  this  compression  creates  diseases  that  are  diffi- 
cult to  heal ;  it  is  always  impossible  for  the  small-footed  wo- 
man to  walk  easily,  and  sometimes  she  cannot  move  with- 
out support.  To  have  the  finger-nails  very  long  is  also  a 
mark  of  aristocracy  ;  sometimes  the  ladies  enclose  their  nails 
in  silver  cases,  which  are  very  convenient  for  cleansing  the 
ears  of  their  owner  or  tearing  out  the  eyes  of  somebody  else. 

Walking  along  the  great  street  of  Pekin,  one  is  sure  to  see 
a  fair  number  of  gamblers  and  gambling  houses.  Gambling 
is  a  passion  with  the  Chinese,  and  they  indulge  it  to  a  greater 
extent  than  any  other  people  in  the  world.  It  is  a  scourge 
in  China,  and  the  cause  of  a  great  deal  of  the  poverty  and 
degradation  that  one  sees  there.  There  are  various  games, 
like  throwing  dice,  and  drawing  sticks  from  a  pile,  and  there 
is  hardly  a  poor  wretch  of  a  laborer  who  will  not  risk  the 
chance  of  paying  double  for  his  dinner  on  the  remote  possi- 
bility of  getting  it  for  nothing.  The  rich  are  addicted  to  the 
vice  quite  as  much  as  the  poor,  and  sometimes  they  will  lose 
their  money,  then  their  houses,  their  lands,  their  wives,  their 


pressed  beneath 
the  others,  and 
these  are  bent 
under,  so  that 
the  foot  takes 
the  shape  of  a 
closed  fist.  The 


FEMALE  FEET  AND  SHOE. 


Iji  bandages  are 
drawn  tighter 
every  month, 
and  in  a  couple 


A   VALUABLE   PRIZE.  343 


children,  and  so  on  up  to  themselves,  when  they  have  nothing 
else  that  their  adversaries  will  accept.  The  winter  is  severe 
at  Pekin,  and  it  sometimes  happens  that  men  who  have  lost 


A  LOTTERY  PRIZE. 


everything,  down  to  their  last  garments,  are  thrust  naked 
into  the  open  air,  where  they  perish  of  cold.  Sometimes  a 
man  will  bet  his  fingers  on  a  game,  and  if  he  loses  he  mus 


34-i         ARTISTIC    STYLE   OF  PUNISHMENTS. 

submit  to  have  them  chopped  off  and  turned  over  to  the 
winner. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  one  of  the  Chinese  emperors  used 
to  get  up  lotteries,  in  which  the  ladies  of  the  court  were  the 
prizes.  He  obtained  quite  a  revenue  from  the  business,  which 
was  popular  with  both  the  players  and  the  prizes,  as  the  lat- 
ter were  enabled  to  obtain  husbands  without  the  trouble  of 
negotiation. 

The  lottery  has  a  place  in  the  Chinese  courts  of  justice. 
There  is  one  mode  of  capital  punishment  in  which  a  dozen  or 
twenty  knives  are  placed  in  a  covered  basket,  and  each  knife 
is  marked  for  a  particular  part  of  the  body.  The  executioner 
puts  his  hand  under  the  cover  and  draws  at  random.  If  the 
knife  is  for  the  toes,  they  are  cut  off  one  after  another ;  if 
for  the  feet,  they  are  severed,  and  so  on  until  a  knife  for  the 
heart  or  neck  is  reached.  Usually  the  friends  of  the  victim 
bribe  the  executioner  to  draw  early  in  the  game  a  knife  whose 
wound  will  be  fatal,  and  he  generally  does  as  he  agrees. 
The  bystanders  amuse  themselves  by  betting  as  to  how  long 
the  culprit  will  stand  it.    Facetious  dogs,  those  Chinese. 

To  enumerate  all  the  ways  of  inflicting  punishment  in 
China  would  be  to  fill  a  volume.  Punishment  is  one  of  the 
fine  arts,  and  a  man  who  can  skin  another  elegantly  is  en- 
titled to  rank  as  an  artist.  The  bastinado  and  floggings  are 
common,  and  then  they  have  huge  shears,  like  those  used  in 
tin  shops,  for  snipping  off  feet  and  arms,  very  much  as  a 
gardener  would  cut  off  the  stem  of  a  rose. 

Some  years  ago  the  environs  of  Tien-tsin  were  infested  by 
bands  of  robbers  who  were  suspected  of  living  in  villages  a 
few  miles  away.  The  governor  was  ordered  by  the  imperial 
authority  to  suppress  these  robberies,  and  in  order  to  get  the 
right  persons  he  sent  out  his  soldiers  and  arrested  everybody, 
old  and  young,  in  the  suspected  villages.  Of  course  there 
were  innocent  persons  among  the  captives,  but  that  made  no 
difference ;  some  of  them  were  blind,  and  others  crippled, 
but  the  police  had  orders  to  bring  in  everybody.  The  prison- 
ers were  summarily  tried  ;  some  of  them  had  their  heads  cut 


CABS  AND  PALANQUINS. 


345 


off,  others  were  imprisoned,  and  others  were  whipped.  No- 
body escaped  without  some  punishment ;  the  result  was  that 
the  robber  bauds  were  broken  up  and  the  robberies  ceased. 

It  is  not  easy  to  go  about  Pekin.  It  is  a  city  of  magnifi- 
cent distances,  and  the  sights  which  one  wants  to  see  are  far 
apart.  The  streets  are  bad,  being  dusty  in  dry  weather  and 
muddy  when  it  rains,  and  the  carriage  way  is  cut  up  with 
deep  ruts  that  make  riding  very  uncomfortable.  The  cabs 
of  Pekin  are  little 


carts,  just  large 
enough  for  two  per- 
sons of  medium 
size.    They  are 
without  springs, 
and  not  very  neatly 
arranged  inside. 
If  one  does  not  like 
them  he  can  walk 
or  take  a  palanquin 
— there  are  plenty 
of  palanquins  in  the  city,  and  they  do  not  cost  an  exorbitant 
sum.    They  are  not  very  commodious,  but  infinitely  prefer- 
able to  the  carts. 
The  comforts  of 
travel  are  very 
few  in  China.  A 
Chinese  never 
travels  for  pleas- 
ure, and  he  does 
not  understand 
the  spirit  that 
leads  tourists 
from  one  end  of 
the  world  to  the 
other  in  search  of 
adventure.    When  he  has  nothing  to  do  he  sits  down,  smokes 
his  pipe,  and  thinks  about  his  ancestors.    He  never  rides, 


A  CHINESE  PALANQUIN. 


A  PEKIN  CAB. 


346 


TEMPLE   OF  CONFUCIUS. 


walks,  dances,  or  takes  the  least  exercise  for  pleasure  alone. 
It  is  business  and  nothing  else  that  controls  his  movements. 

When  an  English  ship  touched  at  Hong  Kong  some  years 
ago,  the  captain  gave  a  ball  to  the  foreign  residents,  and  in- 
vited several  Chinese  merchants  to  attend  the  festivities.  One 
heavy  old  merchant  who  had  never  before  seen  anything  of 
the  kind,  looked  on  patiently,  and  when  the  dance  was  con- 
cluded he  beckoned  the  captain  to  his  side  and  asked  if  he 

could  not  get 
his  servants  to 
do  that  work 
and  save  him 
the  trouble. 

One  of  the 
great  curiosi- 
ties of  Pekin  is 
the  temple  of 
Confucius, 
where  once  a 
year  the  Em- 
peror worships 
the  great  sage 
without  the  in- 
tervention o  f 
paintings  or 
images.  In 
the  central 
shrine  there  is 
a  small  piece  of 
wood,  a  few  in- 
clies  long, 
standing  up- 
right and  bear- 
ing the  name 
of  Confucius 

in  Chinese  characters.  The  temple  contains  several  stone 
tablets,  on  which  are  engraved  the  records  of  honor  conferred 


PRIEST  IN  TEMPLE  OF  CONFUCIUS. 


TEMPLE   OP   HEAVEN   AND   EARTH.  347 

on  literary  men,  and  it  is  the  height  of  a  Chinese  scholar's 
ambition  to  win  a  place  here.  There  are  several  fine  trees 
in  the  spacious  court  yard,  and  they  are  said  to  have  been 
planted  by  the  Mongol  dynasty  more  than  five  hundred  years 
ago.  The  building  is  a  magnificent  one,  and  contains  many 
curious  relics  of  the  various  dynasties,  some  of  them  a  thou- 
sand years  old.  The  ceiling  is  especially  gorgeous,  and  the 
tops  of  the  interior  walls  are  ornamented  with  wooden  boards 
bearing  the  names  of  the  successive  emperors  in  raised  gilt 
characters.  As  soon  as  an  emperor  ascends  the  throne  he  at 
once  adds  his  name  to  the  list. 

The  Temple  of  Heaven  and  the  Temple  of  Earth  are  also 
among  the  curiosities  of  Pekin.  The  former  stands  in  an 
enclosed  space  a  mile  square,  and  has  a  great  central  pavilion, 
with  a  blue  roof,  and  a  gilt  top  that  shines  in  the  afternoon  sun 
like  the  dome  of  St.  Isaac's  church  at  St.  Petersburg.  The 
enclosed  space  includes  a  park,  beautifully  laid  out  with  av- 
enues of  trees  and  with  regular,  well  paved  walks.  In  the 
park  are  some  small  buildings  where  the  priests  live,  that  is 
to  say,  they  are  small  compared  with  the  main  structure, 
though  they  are*  really  fine  edifices.  The  great  pavilion  is 
on  a  high  causeway,  and  has  flights  of  steps  leading  up  to  it 
from  different  directions.  The  pavilion  is  three  stories  high, 
the  eaves  of  each  story  projecting  very  far  and  covered  with 
blue  enameled  tiles.  An  enormous  gilt  ball  crowns  the 
whole,  and  around  the  building  there  is  a  bewildering  array 
of  arches  and  columns,  with  promenades  and  steps  of  white 
marble,  evincing  great  skill  and  care  in  their  construction. 
Unfortunately,  the  government  is  not  taking  good  care  of  the 
temple,  and  the  grass  is  growing  in  many  places  in  the  crev- 
ices of  the  pavements. 

The  Temple  of  Earth  is  where  the  emperor  goes  annually 
to  witness  the  ceremony  of  opening  the  planting  season,  and 
to  inaugurate  it  by  ploughing  the  first  furrow.  The  ceremony 
is  an  imposing  one,  and  never  fails  to  draw  a  large  assem- 
blage. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  objects  in  the  vicinity  of  Pekin 


348  THE   SUMMER  PALACE. 

previous  to  1860  was  "  Yuen-ming  Yuen,"  or  the  summer 
palace  of  the  emperor,  Kien  Loong.  It  was  about  eight 
miles  northwest  of  the  city,  and  bore  the  relation  to  Pekin 
that  Versailles  does  to  Paris.  I  say  was,  because  it  was  rav- 
aged by  the  English  and  French  forces  in  their  advance  upon 
the  Chinese  capital,  and  all  the  largest  and  best  of  the  build- 
ings were  burned.  The  country  was  hilly,  and  advantage 
was  taken  of  this  fact,  so  that  the  park  presented  every  va- 
riety of  hill,  dale,  woodland,  lawn,  garden,  and  meadow,  in- 
terspersed with  canals,  pools,  rivulets,  and  lakes,  with  their 
banks  in  imitation  of  nature.  The  park  contained  about 
twelve  square  miles,  and  there  were  nearly  forty  houses  for 
the  residence  of  the  emperor's  ministers,  each  of  them  sur- 
rounded with  buildings  for  large  retinues  of  servants.  The 
summer  palace,  or  central  hall  of  reception,  was  an  elabor- 
ate structure,  and  when  it  was  occupied  by  the  French  army 
thousands  of  yards  of  the  finest  silk  and  crape  were  found 
there.  These  articles  were  so  abundant  that  the  soldiers  used 
them  for  bed  clothes  and  to  wrap  around  other  plunder.  The 
cost  of  this  palace  amounted  to  millions  of  dollars,  and  the 
blow  was  severely  felt  by  the  Chinese  government.  The 
park  is  still  worth  a  visit,  but  less  so  than  before  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  palace. 

In  the  country  around  Pekin  there  are  many  private  bury- 
ing grounds  belonging  to  families ;  the  Chinese  do  not,  like 
ourselves,  bury  their  dead  in  common  cemeteries,  but  each 
family  has  a  plot  of  its  own.  Sometimes  a  few  families  com- 
bine and  own  a  place  together ;  they  generally  select  a  spot 
in  a  grove  of  trees,  and  make  it  as  attractive  as  possible. 
The  Chinese  are  more  careful  of  their  resting  places  after 
death  than  before  it ;  a  wealthy  man  will  live  in  a  miserable 
hovel,  but  he  looks  forward  to  a  commodious  tomb  beneath 
pretty  shade  trees.  The  tender  regard  for  the  dead  is  an  ad- 
mirable trait  in  the  Chinese  character,  and  springs,  no  doubt, 
from  that  filial  piety  which  is  so  deeply  engraved  on  the  Ori- 
ental mind. 

In  Europe  and  America  it  is  the  custom  not  to  mention 


REVERENCE   FOR   COFFINS.  349 

coffins  in  polite  society,  and  the  contemplation  of  one  is  al- 
ways mournful.  But  in  China  a  coffin  is  a  thing  to  be  made 
a  show  of,  like  a  piano.  In  many  houses  there  is  a  room  set 
apart  for  the  coffins  of  the  members  of  the  family,  and  the 
owners  point 
them  out  with 
pride.  They 
practice  econ- 
omy to  lay 
themselves  out 
better  than 
their  rivals, 
and  sometimes 
a  man  who  has 
made  a  good 
thing  by  swin- 
dling or  rob-  COMFORTS  and  conveniences. 

bing  somebody,  will  use  the  profits  in  buying  a  coffin,  just  as 
an  American  would  treat  himself  to  a  gold  watch  or  diamond 
pin.  The  most  elegant  gift  that  a  child  can  make  to  his  sick 
father  is  a  coffin 
that  he  has  paid 
for  out  of  his  own 
labor;  it  is  not  con- 
sidered a  hint  to 
the  old  gentleman 
to  hand  in  his 
checks  and  get  out 
of  the  way,  but 
rather  as  a  mark  of 
devotion  which  all 
good  boys  should 
imitate.  t  The  cof- 
fins are  finely  orna- 
mented, according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  owner,  and  I 
have  heard  that  sometimes  a  thief  will  steal  a  fine  one  and 
commit  suicide — first  arranging  with  his  friends  to  bury  him 


FILIAL  ATTENTION. 


350  HOW   A    CHINESE   TAKES  REVENGE. 

in  it  before  his  theft  is  discovered.  If  he  is  not  found  out 
he  thinks  he  has  made  a  good  thing  of  it. 

Whenever  the  Chinese  sell  ground  for  building  purposes 
they  always  stipulate  for  the  removal  of  the  bones  of  their 
ancestors  for  many  generations.  The  bones  are  carefully 
dug  up  and  put  in  earthen  jars,  when  they  are  sealed  up, 
labeled,  and  put  away  in  a  comfortable  room,  as  if  they  were 
so  many  pots  of  pickles  and  fruits.  Every  respectable  family 
in  China  has  a  liberal  supply  of  potted  ancestors  on  hand, 
but  would  not  part  with  them  at  any  price. 

Nothing  can  surpass  the  calm  resignation  with  which  the 
Chinese  part  with  life.  They  die  without  groans,  and  have 
no  mental  terror  at  the  approach  of  death.  Abbe  Hue  says 
that  when  they  came  for  him  to  administer  the  last  sacra- 
ments to  a  dying  convert,  their  formula  of  saying  that  the 
danger  was  imminent,  was  in  the  words,  "  The  sick  man  does 
not  smoke  his  pipe." 

When  a  Chinese  wishes  to  revenge  himself  upon  another 
he  furtively  places  a  corpse  upon  the  property  of  his  enemy. 
This  subjects  the  man  on  whose  premises  the  body  is  found 
to  many  vexatious  visits  from  the  officials,  and  also  to  claims 
on  the  part  of  the  relations  of  the  dead  man.  The  height 
of  a  joke  of  this  kind  is  to  commit  suicide  on  another  man's 
property  in  such  a  way  as  to  appear  to  have  been  murdered 
there.  This  will  subject  the  unfortunate  object  of  revenge 
to  all  sorts  of  legal  vexations,  and  not  unfrequently  to  exe- 
cution. Suicide  for  revenge  would  be  absurd  in  America, 
but  is  far  from  unknown  at  the  antipodes. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

IT  was  my  original  intention  to  make  a  journey  from  Kiachta 
to  Pekin  and  back  again,  but  the  lateness  of  the  season 
prevented  me.  I  did  not  wish  to  be  caught  in  the  desert  of 
Gobi  in  winter.  I  talked  with  several  persons  who  had  trav- 
ersed Mongolia,  and  among  them  a  gentleman  who  had  just 
arrived  from  the  Chinese  capital.  I  made  many  notes  from 
his  recital  which  I  found  exceedingly  interesting. 

For  a  time  the  Chinese  refused  passports  to  foreigners  wish- 
ing to  cross  Mongolia  ;  but  on  finding  their  action  was  likely 
to  cause  trouble,  they  gave  the  desired  permission,  though 
accompanying  it  with  an  intimation  that  the  privilege  might 
be  suspended  at  any  time.  The  bonds  that  unite  Mongolia 
to  the  great  empire  are  not  very  strong,  the  natives  being 
somewhat  indifferent  to  their  rulers  and  ready  at  any  decent 
provocation  to  throw  off  their  yoke.  Though  engaged  in  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  sheep-tending,  and  transporting  freight 
between  Russia  and  China,  they  possess  a  warlike  spirit  and 
are  capable  of  being  roused  into  violent  action.  They  are 
proud  of  tracing  their  ancestry  to  the  soldiers  that  marched 
with  Genghis  Khan,  and  carried  his  victorious  banners  into 
Central  Europe ;  around  their  fires  at  night  no  stories  are 
more  eagerly  heard  than  those  of  war,  and  he  who  can  relate 
the  most  wonderful  traditions  of  daring  deeds  may  be  certain 
of  admiration  and  applause. 

The  first  "  outside  barbarian,"  other  than  Russians,  who 
attempted  this  overland  journey,  was  a  young  French  Count, 
who  traveled  in  search  of  adventure.  Proceeding  eastward 
from  St.  Petersburg,  he  reached  Kiachta  in  1859.  After 

(351) 


352  OUTSIDE   OF  PEKIN. 

some  hesitation,  the  governor-general  of  Eastern  Siberia  ap- 
pointed him  secretary  to  a  Russian  courier  en  route  for  Pekin. 
He  made  the  journey  without  serious  hindrance,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  Chinese  capital  his  nationality  was  discovered,  and 
he  was  forced  to  return  to  Siberia. 

From  Pekin  the  traveller  destined  for  Siberia  passes  through 
the  northern  gate  amid  clouds  of  dust  or  pools  of  mud,  ac- 
cording as  the  day  of  his  exit  is  fair  or  stormy.  He  meets 
long  strings  of  carts  drawn  by  mules,  oxen,  or  ponies,  carry- 
ing country  produce  of  different  kinds  to  be  digested  in  the 
great  maw  of  the  Imperial  city.  Animals  with  pack-saddles, 
swaying  under  heavy  burdens,  swell  the  caravans,  and  nu- 
merous equestrians,  either  bestriding  their  steeds,  or  sitting 
sidewise  in  apparent  carelessness,  are  constantly  encountered. 
Now  and  then  an  unruly  mule  causes  a  commotion  in  the 
crowd  by  a  vigorous  use  of  his  heels,  and  a  watchful  observer 
may  see  an  unfortunate  native  sprawling  on  the  ground  in 
consequence  of  approaching  too  near  one  of  the  hybrid  beasts. 
Chinese  mules  will  kick  as  readily  as  their  American  cousins ; 
and  I  can  say  from  experience,  that  their  hoofs  are  neither 
soft  nor  delicate.  They  can  bray,  too,  in  tones  terribly  dis- 
cordant and  utterly  destructive  of  sleep.  The  natives  have 
a  habit  of  suppressing  their  music  when  it  becomes  positively 

unbearable,  and  the 
means  they  employ  may 
be  worth  notice.  A  Chi- 
naman says  a  mule  can- 
not bray  without  elevat- 
ing his  tail  to  a  certain 
height ;  so  to  silence  the 
beast  he  ties  a  stone  to 
that  ornamental  appen- 
dage, and  depends  upon 

A  MUSICAL  STOP.  .  ,  ro 

the  weight  to  shut  on 
the  sound.  Out  of  compassion  to  the  mule,  he  attaches 
the  stone  so  that  it  rests  upon  the  ground  and  makes  no 
strain  as  long  as  the  animal  behaves  himself. 


TRAVELING   IN    A    MULE-LITTER.  353 

A  Chinese  pack-mule  will  carry  about  four  hundred  pounds 
of  dead  weight,  if  properly  adjusted.  The  loads  are  not 
lashed  on  the  animals'  backs,  but  simply  balanced ;  conse- 
quently, they  must  be  very  nicely  divided  and  arranged .  on 
each  side  of  the  saddles. 

On  the  road  from  Pekin  the  track  is  so  wretched,  and  the 
carts  so  roughly  made,  that  journeying  with  wheeled  vehicles 
is  next  to  an  impossibility.  Travelers  go  on  horseback — if 
their  circumstances  allow — and  by  way  of  comfort,  especially 
if  there  be  ladies  in  the  party,  they  generally  provide  them- 
selves with  mule-litters.  The  mule-litter  is  a  goodly-sized 
palanquin,  not  quite  long  enough  for  lying  at  full  length,  but 
high  enough  to  allow  the  passenger  to  sit  erect.  There  is  a 
box  or  false  flooring  in  the  bottom,  to  accommodate  baggage 
in  small  parcels  that  can  be  easily  stowed.  A  good  litter  has 
the  sides  stuffed  to  save  the  occupant  from  bruises  ;  and  with 
plenty  of  straw  and  a  couple  of  pillows,  he  generally  finds 
himself  quite  comfortable.  The  body  is  fastened  to  two 
strong  and  flexible  poles  that  extend  fore  and  aft  far  enough 
to  serve  as  shafts  for  a  couple  of  mules.  At  the  ends  of  the 
shafts  their  points  are  connected  by  stout  bands  of  leather 
that  pass  over  the  saddles  of  the  respective  mules  ;  each  band 
is  kept  in  place  by  an  iron  pin  fixed  in  the  top  of  the  saddle, 
and  passing  through  a  hole  in  the  leather.  As  the  shafts 
are  long  enough  to  afford  the  animals  plenty  of  walking  room, 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  spring  to  the  concern,  and  the  motion 
is  by  no  means  disagreeable.  Sometimes  the  bands  slip  from 
the  shafts,  and  in  such  case  the  machine  comes  to  the  ground 
with  disagreeable  thump ;  if  the  traveler  happens  to  be 
asleep  at  the  time  he  can  easily  imagine  he  is  being  shot  from 
a  catapult. 

Just  outside  of  Pekin  there  is  a  sandy  plain,  and  beyond 
it  a  fine  stretch  of  country  under  careful  cultivation,  the  prin- 
cipal cereal  being  millet,  that  often  stands  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high.  Some  cotton  is  grown,  but  the  region  is  too  far  north 
to  render  its  culture  profitable. 

About  twenty  miles  from  Pekin  is  the  village  of  Sha-ho, 
23 


354  THE   GREAT   WALL   OF  CHINA. 

near  two  old  stone  bridges  that  span  a  river  now  nearly  dried 
away.  The  village  is  a  sort  of  half-way  halting  place  be- 
tween Pekin  and  the  Nankow  pass,  a  rocky  defile  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  long.  The  huge  boulders  and  angular  fragments 
of  stone  have  been  somewhat  worn  down  and  smoothed  by 
constant  use,  though  they  are  still  capable  of  using  up  a  good 
many  mule-hoofs  annually.  With  an  eye  to  business,  a  few 
traveling  farriers  hang  about  this  pass,  and  find  occasional 
employment  in  setting  shoes.  Chinese  shoeing,  considered 
as  a  fine  art,  is  very  much  in  its  infancy.  Animals  are  only 
shod  when  the  nature  of  the  service  requires  it ;  the  farriers 
do  not  attempt  to  make  shoes  to  order,  but  they  keep  a  stock 
of  iron  plates  on  hand,  and  select  the  nearest  size  they  can 
find.  They  hammer  the  plate  a  little  to  fit  it  to  the  hoof 
and  then  fasten  it  on ;  an  American  blacksmith  would  be  as- 
tonished at  the  rapidity  with  which  his  Chinese  brother  per- 
forms his  work. 

The  pass  of  Nankow  contains  the  remains  of  several  old 
forts,  which  were  maintained  in  former  times  to  protect  China 
from  Mongol  incursions.  The  natural  position  is  a  strong 
one,  and  a  small  force  could  easily  keep  at  bay  a  whole  army. 
Just  outside  the  northern  entrance  of  the  pass  there  is  a 
branch  of  one  of  the  "  Great  Walls  "  of  China.  It  was  built 
some  time  before  the  Great  Wall.  Foreigners  visiting  Pekin 
and  desiring  to  see  the  Great  Wall  are  usually  taken  to  Nan- 
kow, and  gravely  told  they  have  attained  the  object  they  seek. 
Perhaps  it  is  just  as  well  for  them  to  believe  so,  since  they 
avoid  a  journey  of  fifty  miles  farther  over  a  rough  road  to 
reach  the  real  Great  Wall ;  besides,  the  Chinese  who  have 
contracted  to  take  them  on  the  excursion  are  able  to  make  a 
nice  thing  of  it,  since  they  charge  as  much  for  one  place  as 
for  the  other. 

The  country  for  a  considerable  distance  is  dotted  with  old 
forts  and  ruins,  and  the  remains  of  extensive  earthworks. 
Many  battles  were  fought  here  between  the  Chinese  and  the 
Mongols  when  Genghis  Khan  made  his  conquest.  For  a  long 
time  the  assailants  were  kept  at  bay,  but  one  fortress  after 


A    FORT   LOST   BY   A  WOMAN. 


355 


another  fell  into  their  hands,  and  finally  the  capture  of  the 
Nankow  pass  by  Che-pee,  one  of  Genghis  Khan's  generals, 
laid  Pekin  at  their  mercy. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  loss  of  the  first  line  of  north- 
ern forts  was  due  to  a  woman.  Intelligence  was  transmitted 
in  those  days  by  means  of  beacon  fires,  and  the  signals  were 
so  arranged  as  to  be  rapidly  flashed  through  the  empire. 
Once  a  lady  induced  the  Emperor  to  give  the  signal  and  sum- 
mon his  armies  to  the  capital.  The  Mandarins  assembled 
with  their  forces,  but  on  finding  they  had  been  simply  em- 
ployed at  the  caprice  of  a  woman,  they  returned  angrily  to 
their  homes.  By-and-by  the  enemy  came  ;  the  beacon  fires 
were  again  lighted  ;  but  this  time  the  Mandarins  did  not  heed 
the  call  for  assistance. 

The  Great  Wall — the  real  one — crosses  the  road  at  Chan- 
kia-kow,  a  large  and  scattered  town  lying  in  a  broad  valley, 
pretty  well  enclosed  by  mountains.  The  Russians  call  the 
town  Kalgan  (gate),  but  the  natives  never  use  any  other 
than  the  Chinese  name.  In  maps  made  from  Russian  author- 
ities, Kalgan  appears,  while  in  those  taken  from  the  Chinese, 
the  other  appellation  is  used.  Kalgan  (I  stick  to  the  Russian 
term,  as  more  easily  pronounced,  though  less  correct)  is  the 
centre  of  the  transit  trade  from  Pekin  to  Kiachta,  and  great 
quantities  of  tea  and  other  goods  pass  through  it  annually. 
■  Several  Russians  are  established  there,  and  the  town  contains 
a  population  of  Chinese  from  various  provinces  of  the  empire, 
mingled  with  Mongols  and  Thibetans  in  fair  proportion.  The 
religion  is  varied,  and  embraces  adherents  to  all  the  branches 
of  Chinese  theology,  together  with  Mongol  lamas  and  a  con- 
siderable sprinkling  of  Mahommedans.  There  are  temples, 
lamissaries,  and  mosques,  according  to  the  needs  of  the 
faithful ;  and  the  Russian  inhabitants  have  a  chapel  of  their 
own,  and  are  thus  able  to  worship  according  to  their  own 
faith.  The  mingling  of  different  tribes  and  kinds  of  people 
in  a  region  where  manners  and  morals  are  not  severely  strict, 
has  produced  a  result  calculated  to  puzzle  the  present  or 
future  ethnologist.    Many  of  the  merchants  have  grown 


356 


HORSE-FAIR   IN  MONGOLIA. 


wealthy,  and  take  life  as  comfortably  as  possible  ;  they  fur- 
nish their  houses  in  the  height  of  Chinese  style,  and  some  of 
them  have  even  sent  to  Russia  for  the  wherewith  to  astonish 
their  neighbors. 

The  Great  Wall  runs  along  the  ridge  of  hills  in  a  direction 
nearly  east  and  west ;  where  it  crosses  the  town  it  is  kept  in 
good  repair,  but  elsewhere  it  is  very  much  in  ruins,  and  could 
offer  little  resistance  to  an  enemy.  Many  of  the  towers  re- 
main, and  some  of  them  are  but  little  broken.  They  seem 
to  have  been  better  constructed  than  the  main  portions  of 
the  wall,  and,  though  useless  against  modern  weapons,  were, 
no  doubt,  of  importance  in  the  days  of  their  erection.  The 
Chinese  must  have  held  the  Mongol  hordes  in  great  dread,  to 
judge  by  the  labor  expended  to  guard  against  incursions. 

As  Kalgan  is  the  frontier  town  between  China  and  Mon- 
golia, many  Mongols  go  there  for  all  purposes,  from  trading 
down  to  loafing.  They  bring  their  camels  to  engage  in  trans- 
porting goods  across  the  desert,  and  indulge  in  a  great  deal 
of  traffic  on  their  own  account.  They  drive  cattle,  sheep, 
and  horses  from  their  pastures  farther  north,  and  sell 
them  for  local  use,  or  for  the  market  at  Pekin.  Mutton  is 
the  staple  article  of  food,  and  nearly  always  cheap  and  abun- 
dant. The  hillsides  are  covered  with  flocks,  which  often 
graze  where  nothing  else  can  live.  In  the  autumn,  immense 
numbers  of  sheep  are  driven  to  Pekin,  and  sometimes  the 
road  is  fairly  blocked  with  them. 

Every  morning  there  is  a  horse-fair  on  an  open  space  just 
beyond  the  Great  Wall,  and  on  its  northern  side.  The  modes 
of  buying  and  selling  horses  are  very  curious,  and  many  of 
the  tricks  would  be  no  discredit  to  American  jockeys.  The 
horses  are  tied  or  held  wherever  their  owners  can  keep  them, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  fair  grounds  there  is  a  space  where 
the  beasts  are  shown  off.  They  trot  or  gallop  up  and  down 
the  course,  their  riders  yelling  as  if  possessed  of  devils,  and 
holding  their  whips  high  in  air.  These  riders  are  generally 
Mongols ;  their  garments  flutter  like  the  decorations  of  a 
scarecrow  in  a  morning  breeze,  and  their  pig-tails,  if  not 


AN   ORIENTAL  RACE. 


357 


carefully  triced  up,  stand  out  at  right  angles  like  ships'  pen- 
nants in  a  north- 
east gale.  Not- 
withstanding all 
the  confusion,  it 
rarely  happens 
that  anybody  is 
run  over,  though 
there  are  many 
narrow  escapes. 

The  fair  is  at- 
tended by  two 
classes  of  people 
— those  who  want 
to  trade  in  horses, 
and  those  who 
don't;  between 
them  they  man- 
age to  assemble 
a  large  crowd. 
There  are  always 
plenty  of  curb- 
stone brokers,  or 
intermediaries, 
who  hang  around 
the  fair  to  negoti- 
ate purchases  and 
sales.  They  have 
a  way  of  conduct- 
ing  trades  by 
drawing  their  long 
sleeves  over  their 
hands,  and  mak- 
ing or  receiving 
bids  by  means  of 
the  concealed  fin- 
gers.   This  mode  of  telegraphing  is  quite  convenient  when 


RACING  AT  THEKALGAN  FAIR. 


358 


TELEGRAPHING    BY  HAND. 


secrecy  is  desired,  and  prevails  in  many  parts  of  Asia.  Taver- 
neir  and  other  travelers  say  the  diamond  merchants  conduct 
their  transactions  in  this  maimer,  even  when  no  one  is  pres- 
ent to  observe  them. 


STREET  US  KALGAX. 


Unless  arrangements  have  been  made  beforehand,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  spend  three  or  four  days  at  Kalgan  in  preparing 


THE   MONGOLIAN  CAMELS. 


359 


for  the  journey  over  the  desert.  Camels  must  be  hired,  carts 
purchased,  baggage  packed  in  convenient  parcels,  and  nu- 
merous odds  and  ends  provided  against  contingencies.  Of 
course,  there  is  generally  something  forgotten,  even  after 
careful  attention  to  present  and  prospective  wants. 

But  we  are  off  at  last.  The  start  consumes  the  greater 
part  of  a  day,  as  it  is  best  to  have  nothing  done  carelessly  at 
the  outset.  The  heavy  baggage  is  loaded  upon  the  camels, 
the  animals  lying  down  and  patiently  waiting  while  their  car- 
goes are  stowed.  Pieces  of  felt  cloth  are  packed  between 
and  around  their  humps,  to  prevent  injury  from  the  cords 
that  sustain  the  bundles.  The  drivers  display  much  ingenui- 
ty in  arranging  the  loads  so  that  they  shall  be  easily  bal- 
anced, and  the  sides  of  the  beasts  as  little  injured  as  possible. 
Spite  of  precautions,  the  camels  get  ugly  sores  in  their  sides 
and  backs,  which  grow  steadily  worse  by  use.  Occasionally 
their  hoofs  crack  and  fill  with  sand,  and  when  this  occurs, 
their  owner  has  no  alternative  but  to  rest  them  a  month  or 
two,  or  risk  losing  their  services  altogether.  The  principal 
travel  over  the  desert  is  in  the  cold  season.  In  the  autumn, 
the  camels  are  fat,  and  their 
humps  appear  round  and  hard. 
They  are  then  steadily  worked 
until  spring,  and  very  often  get 
very  little  to  eat.  As  the  camel 
grows  thin,  his  humps  fall  to  one 
side,  and  the  animal  assumes  a 
woe-begone  appearance.  In  the 
spring,  his  hair  falls  off ;  his  na- 
ked skin  wrinkles  like  a  wet 
glove,  and  he  becomes  anything  but  an  attractive  object. 

As  a  beast  of  burden,  the  camel  is  better  than  for  purposes 
of  draft.  He  can  carry  from  six  hundred  to  eight  hundred 
pounds,  if  the  load  be  properly  placed  on  his  back  ;  but  when 
.  he  draws  a  cart  the  weight  must  be  greatly  diminished.  In 
crossing  Mongolia,  heavy  baggage  is  carried  on  camels,  but 
every  traveler  takes  a  cart  for  riding  purposes,  and  alter- 


360 


CAMEL    CART   AND    COFFIN  LOGS. 


nates  between  it  and  his  saddle  horse.  The  cart  is  a  sort  of 
dog-house  on  two  wheels  ;  its  frame  is  of  wood,  and  has  a 
covering  of  felt  cloth,  thick  enough  to  ward  off  a  light  fall 
of  rain,  and  embarrass  a  heavy  one.  It  is  barely  high  enough 
to  allow  a  man  to  sit  erect,  but  not  sufficiently  long  to  ena- 
ble him  to  lie  at  full  length.  The  body  rests  directly  upon 
the  axle,  so  that  the  passenger  gets  the  full  benefit  of  every 
jolt.  The  camel  walks  between  the  shafts,  and  his  great 
body  is  the  chief  feature  of  the  scenery  when  one  looks  ahead. 
The  harness  gives  way  occasionally,  and  allows  the  shafts  to 
fall  to  the  ground  ;  when  this  happens,  the  occupant  runs  the 
risk  of  being  dumped  among  the  ungainly  feet  that  propel 
his  vehicle.  One  experience  of  this  kind  is  more  than  satis- 
factory. 

After  passing  a  range  of  low  mountains  north  of  Kalgan, 
the  road  enters  the  table-land  of  Mongolia,  elevated  about 
five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  country  opens  into  a 
series  of  plains  and  gentle  swells,  not  unlike  the  rolling  prai- 
ries of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  with  here  and  there  a  stretch 
of  hills.  Very  often  not  a  single  tree  is  visible,  and  the  only 
stationary  objects  that  break  the  monotony  of  the  scene  are 
occasional  yourts,  or  tents  of  the  natives.  All  the  way  along 
the  road  there  are  numerous  trains  of  ox-carts,  and  some- 
times they  form  a  continuous  line  of  a  mile  or  more.  Those 
going  southward  are  principally  laden  with  logs  of  wood 
.from  the  valley  of  the  Tolla,  about  two  hundred  miles  from 
the  Siberian  frontier.  The  logs  are  about  six  or  seven  feet 
long,  and  their  principal  use  is  to  be  cut  into  Chinese  coffins. 
Many  a  gentleman  of  Pekin  has  been  stowed  in  a  coffin  whose 
wood  grew  in  the  middle  of  Mongolia ;  and  possibly  when 
our  relations  with  the  empire  become  more  intimate,  we  shall 
supply  the  Chinese  coffin  market  from  the  fine  forests  of  our 
Pacific  coast. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


ORTH  of  Kalgan  the  native  habitations  are  scattered 


^  irregularly  over  the  country  wherever  good  water  and 
grass  abound.  The  Mongols  are  generally  nomadic,  and  con- 
sult the  interest  of  their  flocks  and  herds  in  their  movements. 
In  summer  they  resort  to  the  table-land,  and  stay  wherever 
fancy  or  convenience  dictates  ;  in  winter  they  prefer  the  val- 
leys where  they  are  partially  sheltered  from  the  sharp  winds, 
and  find  forage  for  their  stock. 

The  desert  is  not  altogether  a  desert ;  it  has  a  great  deal 
of  sand  and  general  desolation  to  the  day's  ride,  but  is  far 
from  being  a  forsaken  region  where  a  wolf  could  not  make  a 
living.  Antelopes  abound,  and  are  often  seen  in  large  droves 
as  upon  our  Western  plains ;  grouse  will  afford  frequent 
breakfasts  to  the  traveler  if  he  takes  the  trouble  to  shoot 
them ;  there  are  wild  geese,  ducks,  and  curlew  in  the  ponds 
and  marshes ;  and  taken  for  all  in  all,  the  country  might  be 
much  worse  than  it  is — which  is  bad  enough. 

The  flat  or  undulating  country  is,  of  course,  monotonous. 
Sunset  and  sunrise  are  not  altogether  unlike  those  events  on 
the  ocean,  and  if  a  traveler  wishes  to  feel  himself  quite  at 
sea,  he  has  only  to  wander  off  and  lose  his  camp  or  caravan. 
The  natives  make  nothing  of  straying  out  of  sight,  and  seem 
to  possess  the  instincts  which  have  been  often  noted  in  the 
American  Indian.  Without  landmarks  or  other  objects  to 
guide  them,  they  rarely  mistake  their  position,  even  at  night, 
and  can  estimate  the  extent  of  a  day's  journey  with  surpris- 
ing accuracy.  Where  a  stranger  can  see  no  difference  be- 
tween one  square  mile  of  desert  and  a  thousand  others,  the 


(361) 


362  LOST   IN   A    MONGOLIAN  DESERT. 

Mongol  can  distinguish  it  from  all  the  rest,  though  he  may 
not  be  able  to  explain  why.  Perception  is  closely  allied  to 
instinct,  and  as  fast  as  we  are  developed  and  educated  the 
more  we  trust  to  acquired  knowledge  and  the  less  to  the  un- 
aided senses. 

Of  course  it  is  quite  easy  for  a  stranger  to  be  lost  in  the 
Mongolian  desert  beyond  all  hope  of  finding  his  way  again, 
unless  some  one  comes  to  his  aid.  A  Russian  gentleman  told 
me  his  experience  in  getting  lost  there  several  years  ago. 
"  I  used,"  said  he,  "  to  have  a  fondness  for  pursuing  game 
whenever  we  sighted  any,  which  was  pretty  often,  and  as  I 
had  a  couple  of  hardy  ponies,  I  did  a  great  deal  of  chasing. 
One  afternoon  I  saw  a  fine  drove  of  antelopes,  and  set  out  in 
pursuit  of  them.  The  chase  led  me  further  than  I  expected : 
the  game  was  shy,  and  I  could  not  get  near  enough  for  a  good 
shot ;  after  a  long  pursuit  I  gave  up,  and  concluded  to  return 
to  the  road.  Just  as  I  abandoned  the  chase  the  sun  was  set- 
ting. My  notion  of  the  direction  I  ought  to  go  was  not  en- 
tirely clear,  as  I  had  followed  a  very  tortuous  course  in  pur- 
suing the  antelopes. 

"  I  was  not  altogether  certain  which  way  I  turned  when  I 
left  the  road.  It  was  my  impression  that  I  went  to  the 
eastward  and  had  been  moving  away  from  the  sun ;  so  I 
turned  my  pony's  head  in  a  westerly  direction  and  followed 
the  ridges,  which  ran  from  east  to  west.  Hour  after  hour 
passed  away,  the  stars  came  out  clear  and  distinct  in  the  sky, 
and  marked  off  the  progress  of  the  night  as  they  slowly 
moved  from  east  to  west.  I  grew  hungry  and  thirsty,  and 
longed  most  earnestly  to  reach  the  caravan.  My  pony  shared 
my  uneasiness,  and  moved  impatiently,  now  endeavoring  to 
go  in  one  direction  and  now  in  another.  Thinking  it  possible 
that  he  might  know  the  proper  route  better  than  I,  I  gave 
him  free  rein,  but  soon  found  he  was  as  much  at  fault  as  my- 
self.   Then  I  fully  realized  I  was  lost  in  the  desert. 

"  Without  compass  or  landmark  to  guide  me,  there  was  no 
use  in  further  attempts  to  find  the  caravan.  Following  the 
Mongol  custom,  I  carried  a  long  rope  attached  to  my  saddle- 


ALARMED   BY   WILD  BEASTS. 


363 


bow,  and  with  this  I  managed  to  picket  the  pony  where  he 
could  graze  and  satisfy  his  hunger.  How  I  envied  his  ability 
to  eat  the  grass,  which,  though  scanty,  was  quite  sufficient. 
I  tried  to  sleep,  but  sleep- 
ing was  no  easy  matter. 
First,  I  had  the  conscious- 
ness of  being  lost.  Then 
I  was  suffering  from  hun- 
ger and  thirst,  and  the 
night,  like  all  the  nights  in 
Mongolia,  even  in  midsum- 
mer, was  decidedly  chilly, 
and  as  I  had  only  my  or- 
dinary clothing,  the  cold 
caused  me  to  shiver  vio- 
lently. The  few  snatches 
of  sleep  I  caught  were 
troubled  with  many  dreams, 
none  of  them  pleasant. 
All  sorts  of  horrible  fancies 
passed  through  my  brain, 
and  I  verily  believe  that 
though  I  did  not  sleep  half 
an  hour  in  the  whole  night, 
the  incidents  of  my  dreams  were  enough  for  a  thousand 
years. 

"  Thoughts  of  being  devoured  by  wild  beasts  haunted  me, 
though  in  truth  I  had  little  of  this  fate  to  fear.  The  only 
carnivorous  beasts  on  the  desert  are  wolves,  but  as  game  is 
abundant,  and  can  be  caught  with  ordinary  exertion,  they 
have  no  occasion  to  feed  upon  men.  About  midnight  my 
fears  were  roused  by  my  pony  taking  alarm  at  the  approach 
of  some  wild  beast.  He  snorted  and  pulled  at  his  rope,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  my  efforts  to  soothe  him,  he  would  have 
broken  away  and  fled.  I  saw  nothing  and  heard  nothing, 
though  I  fancied  I  could  discover  half  a  dozen  dark  forms  on 


LOST  IN  THE  DESERT  OF  GOBI. 


364 


A   RUNAWAY  HORSE. 


the  horizon,  and  hear  a  subdued  howl  from  an  animal  1  sup- 
posed to  be  a  wolf. 

"  Morning  came.  I  was  suffering  from  hunger,  and  more 
from  thirst.  My  throat  was  parched,  my  tongue  was  swollen, 
and  there  was  a  choking  sensation  as  if  I  were  undergoing 
strangulation.  How  I  longed  for  water !  Mounting  my 
horse,  I  rode  slowly  along  the  ridge  toward  the  west,  and 
after  proceeding  several  miles,  discovered  a  small  lake  to  my 
right.  My  horse  scented  it  earlier  than  I,  and  needed  no 
urging  to  reach  it.  Dismounting,  I  bent  over  and  drank 
from  the  edge,  which  was  marked  with  the  tracks  of  ante- 
lopes, and  of  numerous  aquatic  birds.  The  water  was  brack- 
ish and  bitter,  but  I  drank  it  with  eagerness.  My  thirst  was 
satisfied,  but  the  water  gave  me  a  severe  pain  in  my  stomach, 
that  soon  became  almost  as  unendurable  as  the  previous  dry- 
ness. I  stood  for  some  minutes  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and 
preparing  to  remount  my  horse,  the  bridle  slipped  from  my 
hand.  Mongol  ponies  are  generally  treacherous,  and  mine 
proved  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Finding  himself  free,  he 
darted  off  and  trotted  back  the  way  we  had  come. 

"  I  knew  that  search  would  be  made  for  me,  and  my  hope 
now  lay  in  some  one  coming  to  the  lake.  It  did  not  require 
long  deliberation  to  determine  me  to  remain  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  water.  As  long  as  I  was  near  it  I  could  not  perish  of 
thirst ;  and  moreover,  the  Mongols,  who  probably  knew  of 
the  lake,  might  be  attracted  here  for  water,  and,  if  looking 
for  me,  would  be  likely  to  take  the  lake  in  the  way.  Tying 
my  kerchief  to  my  ramrod,  which  I  fixed  in  the  ground,  I 
lay  down  on  the  grass  and  slept,  as  near  as  I  could  estimate, 
for  more  than  two  hours. 

"  Seeing  some  water-fowl  a  short  distance  away,  I  walked 
in  their  direction,  and  luckily  found  a  nest  among  the  reeds, 
close  to  the  water's  edge.  The  six  or  eight  eggs  it  contained 
were  valuable  prizes  ;  one  I  swallowed  raw,  and  the  others  I 
carried  to  where  I  left  my  gun.  Gathering  some  of  the  dry 
grass  and  reeds,  I  built  a  fire  and  roasted  the  eggs,  which 
gave  me  a  hearty  meal.    The  worst  of  my  hardships  seemed 


FOUND   AT  LAST. 


365 


over.  I  had  found  water — bad  water,  it  is  true — but  still  it 
was  possible  to  drink  it ;  by  searching  among  the  reeds  I 
could  find  an  abundance  of  eggs ;  my  gun  could  procure  me 
game,  and  the  reeds  made  a  passable  sort  of  fuel.  I  should 
be  discovered  in  a  few  days  at  furthest,  and  I  renewed  my 
determination  to  remain  near  the  lake. 

"  The  day  passed  without  any  incident  to  vary  the  monot- 
ony. Refreshed  by  my  meal  and  by  a  draught  from  a  small 
pool  of  comparatively  pure  water,  I  was  able  to  sleep  most 
of  the  afternoon,  so  as  to  keep  awake  during  the  night,  when 
exercise  was  necessary  to  warmth.  About  sunset  a  drove  of 
antelopes  came  near  me,  and  by  shooting  one  I  added  venison 
to  my  bill  of  fare.  In  the  night  I  amused  myself  with  keep- 
ing my  fire  alive,  and  listening  to  the  noise  of  the  birds  that 
the  unusual  sight  threw  into  a  state  of  alarm.  On  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  as  I  lay  on  my  bed  of  reeds,  a  dozen  ante- 
lopes, attracted  by  my  kerchief  fluttering  in  the  wind,  stood 
watching  me,  and  every  few  minutes  approaching  a  few  steps. 
They  were  within  easy  shooting  distance,  but  I  had  no  occa- 
sion to  kill  them.  So  I  lay  perfectly  still,  watching  their 
motions  and  admiring  their  beauty. 

"  All  at  once,  though  I  had  not  moved  a  muscle,  they 
turned  and  ran  away.  While  I  was  wondering  what  could 
have  disturbed  them  I  heard  the  shout  of  two  Mongol  horse- 
men, who  were  riding  toward  me,  and  leading  my  pony  they 
had  caught  a  dozen  miles  away.  A  score  of  men  from  the 
caravan  had  been  in  search  of  me  since  the  morning  after 
my  disappearance,  and  had  ridden  many  a  mile  over  the 
desert." 

The  Mongols  are  a  strong,  hardy,  and  generally  good-na- 
tured race,  possessing  the  spirit  of  perseverance  quite  as 
much  as  the  Chinese.  They  have  the  free  manners  of  all 
nomadic  people,  and  are  noted  for  unvarying  hospitality  to 
visitors.  Every  stranger  is  welcome,  and  has  the  best  the 
host  can  give ;  the  more  he  swallows  of  what  is  offered  him, 
the  better  will  be  pleased  the  household.  As  the  native  hab- 
its are  not  especially  cleanly,  a  fastidiously  inclined  guest  has 


366 


CHARACTER   OF   THE  MONGOLS. 


MONGOL   DINNER  TABLE 


a  trying  time  of  it.  The  staple  dish  of  a  Mongol  yourt  is 
boiled  mutton,  but  it  is  unaccompanied  with  capers  or  any 
other  kind  of  sauce  or  seasoning.  A  sheep  goes  to  pot  im- 
mediately on  being  killed,  and  the  quantity  that  each  man 

will  consume  is  something  surpris- 
ing. When  the  meat  is  cooked  it 
is  lifted  out  of  the  hot  water  and 
handed,  all  dripping  and  steamy,  to 
the  guests.  Each  man  takes  a 
large  lump  on  his  lap,  or  any  con- 
venient support,  and  then  cuts  off 
little  chunks  which  he  tosses  into 
his  mouth  as  if  it  were  a  mill-hop- 
per. The  best  piece  is  reserved  for 
the  guest  of  honor,  who  is  expected 
to  divide  it  with  the  rest ;  after  the 
meat  is  devoured  they  drink  the  broth,  and  this  concludes  the 
meal.  Knives  and  cups  are  the  only  aids  to  eating,  and  as 
every  man  carries  his  own  "  outfit,"  the  Mongol  dinner  ser- 
vice is  speedily  arranged.  The  entire  work  consists  in  seat- 
ing the  party  around  a  pot  of  cooked  meat. 

The  desert  is  crossed  by  various  ridges  and  small  mountain 
chains,  that  increase  in  frequency  and  make  the  country 
more  broken  as  one  approaches  the  Tolla,  the  largest  stream 
between  Pekin  and  Kiachta.  The  road,  after  traversing  the 
last  of  these  chains,  suddenly  reveals  a  wide  valley  which 
bears  evidence  of  fertility  in  its  dense  forests,  and  the  strag- 
gling fields  which  receive  less  attention  than  they  deserve. 

The  Tolla  has  an  ugly  habit  of  rising  suddenly  and  falling 
deliberately.  When  at  its  height,  the  stream  has  a  current 
of  about  seven  miles  an  hour,  and  at  the  fording  place  the 
water  is  over  the  back  of  an  ordinary  pony.  The  bottom  of 
the  river  consists  of  large  boulders  of  all  sizes  from  an  egg 
up  to  a  cotton  bale,  and  the  footing  for  both  horses  and  cam- 
els is  not  specially  secure.  The  camels  need  a  good  deal  of 
persuasion  witli  clubs  before  they  will  enter  the  water ;  they 
have  an  instinctive  dread  of  that  liquid  and  avoid  it  when- 


A    MONGOLIAN   FORDING  PLACE. 


367 


ever  they  can.  Horses  are  less  timorous,  and  the  best  way 
to  get  a  camel  through  the  ford  is  to  lead  him  behind  a  horse 
and  pound  him  vigorously  at  the  same  time.  When  the  river 
is  at  all  dangerous  there  is  always  a  swarm  of  natives  around 
the  ford  ready  to  lend  a  hand  if  suitably  compensated.  They 
all  talk  very  much  and  in  loud  tones ;  their  voices  mingle 
with  the  neighing  of  horses,  the  screams  of  camels,  the  roar- 
ing of  the  river,  and  the  laughter  of  the  idlers  when  any 
mishap  occurs.  The  confused  noises  are  in  harmony  with 
the  scene  on  either  bank,  where  baggage  is  piled  promiscu- 
ously, and  the  natives  are  grouped  together  in  various  pictur- 
esque attitudes.  Men  with  their  lower  garments  rolled  as 
high  as  possible,  or  altogether  discarded,  walk  about  in  per- 
fect nonchalance ;  their  queues  hanging  down  their  backs 
seem  designed  as  rudders  to  steer  the  wearers  across  the 
stream. 

About  two  miles  from  the  ford  of  the  Tolla  there  is  a  Chi- 
nese settlement,  which  forms  a  sort  of  suburb  to  the  Mongol 
town  of  Urga.  The  Mongols  have  no  great  friendship  for 
the  Chinese  inhabitants,  who  are  principally  engaged  in  traffic 
and  the  various  occupations  connected  with  the  transport  of 
goods.  Between  this  suburb  and  the  main  town  the  Russians 
have  a  large  house,  which  is  the  residence  of  a  consul  and 
some  twenty  or  thirty  retainers.  The  policy  of  maintaining 
a  consulate  there  can  only  be  explained  on  the  supposition 
that  Russia  expects  and  intends  to  appropriate  a  large  slice 
of  Mongolia  whenever  opportunity  offers.  She  has  long  in- 
sisted that  the  chain  of  mountains  south  of  Urga  was  the 
"  natural  boundary,"  and  her  establishment  of  an  expensive 
post  at  that  city  enables  her  to  have  things  ready  whenever 
a  change  occurs.  In  the  spirit  of  annexation  and  extension 
of  territory  the  Russians  can  fairly  claim  equal  rank  with 
ourselves.  I  forget  their  phrase  for  "  manifest  destiny,"  and 
possibly  they  may  not  be  willing  that  I  should  give  it. 

Urga  is  not  laid  out  in  streets  like  most  of  the  Chinese 
towns ;  its  by-ways  and  high-ways  are  narrow  and  crooked, 
and  form  a  network  very  puzzling  to  a  stranger.    The  Chi- 


368  THE   LAMAS   AT  URGA. 

ncse  and  Russian  settlers  live  in  houses,  and  there  are  tem- 
ples and  other  permanent  buildings,  but  the  Mongols  live 
generally  in  yourts,  which  they  prefer  to  more  extensive 
structures.  Most  of  the  Mongol  traffic  is  conducted  in  a 
large  esplanade,  where  you  can  purchase  anything  the  coun- 
try affords,  and  at  very  fair  prices. 

The  principal  feature  of  Urga  is  the  lamissary  or  convent 
where  a  great  many  lamas  or  holy  men  reside.  I  have  heard 
the  number  estimated  at  fifteen  thousand,  but  cannot  say  if 
it  be  more  or  less.  The  religion  of  the  Mongols  came  orig- 
inally from  Thibet,  by  direct  authority  of  the  Grand  Lama, 
but  a  train  of  circumstances  which  I  have  not  space  to  ex- 
plain, has  made  it  virtually  independent.  The  Chinese  gov- 
ernment maintains  shrewd  emissaries  among  these  lamas, 
and  thus  manages  to  control  the  Mongols  and  prevent  their 
setting  up  for  themselves.  As  a  further  precaution  it  has  a 
lamissary  at  Pekin,  where  it  keeps  two  thousand  Mongol 
lamas  at  its  own  expense.  In  this  way  it  is  able  to  influence 
the  nomads  of  the  desert,  and  in  case  of  trouble  it  would 
possess  a  fair  number  of  hostages  for  an  emergency. 

About  the  year  1205  the  great  battle  between  Timoujin  and 
the  sovereign  then  occupying  the  Mongol  throne  was  fought 
a  short  distance  from  Urga.  The  victory  was  decisive  for 
the  former,  who  thus  became  Genghis  Khan  and  commenced 
that  career  of  conquest  which  made  his  name  famous. 

Great  numbers  of  devotees  from  all  parts  of  Mongolia  visit 
Urga  every  year,  the  journey  there  having  something  of  the 
sacred  character  which  a  Mahommedan  attaches  to  a  pilgrim- 
age to  Mecca.  The  people  living  at  Urga  build  fences  around 
their  dwellings  to  protect  their  property  from  the  thieves  who 
are  in  large  proportion  among  the  pious  travelers. 

From  Urga  to  the  Siberian  frontier  the  distance  is  less  than 
two  hundred  miles ;  the  Russian  couriers  accomplish  it  in 
fifty  or  sixty  hours  when  not  delayed  by  accidents,  but  the 
caravans  require  from  four  to  eight  days.  There  is  a  system 
of  relays  arranged  by  the  Chinese  so  that  one  can  travel 
very  speedily  if  he  has  proper  authority.    Couriers  have 


CARAVANS   ON   THE  DESERT. 


369 


passed  from  Kiachta  to  Pekin  in  ten  or  twelve  days ;  bnt  the 
rough  road  and  abominable  carts  make  them  feel  at  their 
journey's  end  about  as  if  rolled  through  a  patent  clothes- 
wringer.  A  mail  is  carried  twice  a  month  each  way  by  the 
Russians.  Several  schemes  have  been  proposed  for  a  trans- 
Mongolian  telegraph,  but  thus  far  the  Chinese  government 
has  refused  to  permit  its  construction. 

The  desert  proper  is  finished  before  one  reaches  the  moun- 
tains bordering  the  Tolla ;  after  crossing  that  stream  and 
leaving  Urga  the  road  passes  through  a  hilly  country,  sprinkled, 
it  is  true,  with  a  good  many  patches  of  sand,  but  having 
plenty  of  forest  and  frequently  showing  fertile  valleys.  These 
valleys  are  the  favorite  resorts  of  the  Mongol  shepherds  and 
herdsmen,  some  of  whom  count  their  wealth  by  many  thou- 
sand animals.  In  general,  Mongolia  is  not  agricultural,  both 
from  the  character  of  the  country  and  the  disposition  of  the 
people.  A  few  tribes  in  the  west  live  by  tilling  the  soil  in 
connection  with  stock  raising,  but  I  do  not  suppose  they  take 
kindly  to  the  former  occupation.  The  Mongols  engaged  in 
the  caravan  service  pass  a  large  part  of  their  lives  on  the 
road,  and  are  merry  as  larks  over  their  employment.  They 
seem  quite  analogous  to  the  teamsters  and  miscellaneous 
"  plainsmen"  who  used  to  play  an  important  part  on  our 
overland  route. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  men  engaged  in  this  transit  ser- 
vice are  lamas,  their  sacred  character  not  excusing  them,  as 
many  suppose,  from  all  kinds  of  employment.  Many  lamas 
are  indolent  and  manage  in  some  way  to  make  a  living  with- 
out work,  but  this  is  by  no  means  the  universal  character  of 
the  holy  men.  About  one-fifth  of  the  male  population  belong 
to  the  religious  order,  so  that  there  are  comparatively  few 
families  which  do  not  have  a  member  or  a  relative  in  the  pale 
of  the  church.  If  not  domiciled  in  a  convent  or  blessed  by 
fortune  in  some  way,  the  lama  turns  his  hand  to  labor,  though 
he  is  able  at  the  same  time  to  pick  up  occasional  presents  for 
professional  service.  Many  of  them  act  as  teachers  or  school- 
masters. Theoretically  he  cannot  marry  any  more  than  a 
24 


370 


AN   INCONVENIENT  ARRANGEMENT. 


Romish  priest,  but  his  tows  of  celibacy  are  not  always  strict- 
ly kept.  One  inconvenience  under  which  he  labors  is  in 
never  daring  to  kill  anything  through  fear  that  what  he 

slaughters 
may  contain 
the  soul  of  a 
relative,  and 
possibly  that 
of  the  divine 
Bhudda.  A 
lama  will 
purchase  a 
sheep  on 
which  he  ex- 
p  e  c  t  s  to 
dine,  and 
though  fully 
accessory 
before  and 
after  the 
fact,  he  does 
not  feel  au- 
thorized t  o 
use  the  knife 
with  his  own 
hand.  Even 
should  he  be 
annoyed  by 
fleas  or  sim- 
ilar creep- 
ing things 

(if  it  were  a  township  or  city  the  lama's  body  could  return  a 
flattering  census,)  he  must  bear  the  infliction  until  patience 
is  thoroughly  exhausted.  At  such  times  he  may  call  an  un- 
sanctified  friend  and  subject  himself  and  garments  to  a 
thorough  examination. 

Every  lama  carries  with  him  a  quantity  of  written  prayers, 


THE  SCHOOLMASTER. 


PRAYING   BY  MACHINERY. 


871 


which  he  reads  or  recites,  and  the  oftener  they  are  repeated 
the  greater  is  their  supposed  efficacy.  Quantity  is  more  im- 
portant than  quality,  and  to  facilitate  matters  they  frequently 
have  a  machine,  which  consists  of  a  wheel  containing  a  lot 
of  prayers.  Sometimes  it  is  turned  by  hand  and  sometimes 
attached  to  a  wind-mill ;  the  latter  mode  being  preferred. 

Abbe  Hue  and  others  have  remarked  a  striking  similarity 
between  the  Bhuddist  and  Roman  Catholic  forms  of  worship 
and  the  origin  of  the  two  religions.  Hue  infers  that  Bhudd- 
ism  was  borrowed  from  Christianity ;  on  the  other  hand, 
many  lamas  declare  that  the  reverse  is  the  case.  The  ques- 
tion has  caused  a  great  deal  of  discussion  first  and  last,  but 
neither  party  appears  disposed  to  yield. 

The  final  stretch  of  road  toward  the  Siberian  frontier  is 
across  a  sandy  plain,  six  or  eight  miles  wide.  On  emerging 
from  the  hills  at  its  southern  edge  the  dome  of  the  church  in 
Kiachta  appears  in  sight,  and  announces  the  end  of  Mongol- 
ian travel.  No  lighthouse  is  more  welcome  to  a  mariner  than 
is  the  view  of  this  Russian  town  to  a  traveler  who  has  suf- 
fered the  hardships  of  a  journey  from  Pekin. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  week  I  remained  at  Kiachta  was  a  time  of  festivity 
from  beginning  to  end.  I  endeavored  to  write  up  my 
journal  but  was  able  to  make  little  more  than  rough  notes. 
The  good  people  would  have  been  excusable  had  they  not 
compelled  me  to  drink  so  much  excellent  champagne.  The 
amiable  merchants  of  Kiachta  are  blessed  with  such  capaci- 
ties for  food  and  drink  that  they  do  not  think  a  guest  satis- 
fied until  he  has  swallowed  enough  to  float  a  steamboat. 

I  found  an  excellent  compagnon  du  voyage,  and  our  depart- 
ure was  fixed  for  the  evening  after  the  dinner  with  Mr  Pfaf- 
fins.  A  change  from  dinner  dress  to  traveling  costume  was 
speedily  made,  and  I  was  '  gotovey 9  when  my  friend  arrived 
with  several  officers  to  see  us  off.  About  eight  o'clock  we 
took  places  in  my  tarantass,  and  drove  out  of  the  northern 
gate  of  Troitskosavsk. 

My  traveling  companion  was  Mr.  Richard  Maack,  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction  in  Eastern  Siberia.  He  was 
just  finishing  a  tour  among  the  schools  in  the  Trans-Baikal 
province,  and  during  fourteen  years  of  Siberian  life,  he  had 
seen  a  variety  of  service.  He  accompanied  General  Mou- 
ravieff  on  the  first  expedition  down  the  Amoor,  and  wrote  a 
detailed  account  of  his  journey.  Subsequently  he  explored 
the  Ousuree  in  the  interest  of  the  Russian  Geographical  Soci- 
ety. He  said  that  his  most  arduous  service  was  in  a  winter 
journey  to  the  valley  of  the  Lena,  and  along  the  shores  of  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  The  temperature  averaged  lower  than  in  Dr. 
Kane's  hibernation  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  and  once  re- 
mained at  -  £0°  for  nearly  three  weeks.  Of  five  persons  com- 
(872) 


A   SACRED  VILLAGE. 


373 


prising  the  party,  Maack  is  the  only  survivor.  One  of  his 
companions  fell  dead  in  General  Mouravieff  s  parlor  while 
giving  his  account  of  the  exploration. 

We  determined  to  be  comfortable  on  the  way  to  Irkutsk. 
We  put  our  baggage  in  a  telyaga  with  Maack' s  servant  and 
took  the  tarantass  to  ourselves.  The  road  was  the  same  I 
traveled  from  Vcrkne  Udinsk  to  Kiachta,  crossing  the  Se- 
lenga  at  Selenginsk.  We  slept  most  of  the  first  night,  and 
j  timed  our  arrival  at  Selenginsk  so  as  to  find  the  school  in 
session.  During  a  brief  halt  while  the  smotretal  prepared 
our  breakfast,  Maack  visited  the  school-master  at  his  post  of 
duty. 

Over  the  hills  behind  a  lake  about  a  day's  ride  from  Selen- 
ginsk there  is  a  Bouriat  village  of  a  sacred  character.  It  is 
the  seat  of  a  large  temple  or  lamisary  whence  all  the  Bouriats 
in  Siberia  receive  their  religious  teachings.  A  grand  lama 
specially  commissioned  by  the  great  chief  of  the  Bhuddist 
faith  at  Thibet,  presides  over  the  lamisary.  He  is  supposed 
to  partake  of  the  immortal  essence  of  Bhudda,  and  when  his 
body  dies,  his  spirit  enters  a  younger  person  who  becomes 
the  lama  after  passing  a  certain  ordeal. 

The  village  is  wholly  devoted  to  religious  purposes,  and  oc- 
cupied exclusively  by  Bouriats.  I  was  anxious  to  visit  it,  but 
circumstances  did  not  favor  my  desires. 

We  made  both  crossings  of  the  Sclenga  on  the  ice  without 
difficulty.  It  was  only  a  single  day  from  the  time  the  ferry 
ceased  running  until  the  ice  was  safe  for  teams.  We  reached 
Verkne  Udinsk  late  in  the  evening,  and  drove  to  a  house 
where  my  companion  had  friends.  The  good  lady  brought 
some  excellent  nalifka  of  her  own  preparation,  and  the  more 
we  praised  it  the  more  she  urged  us  to  drink.  What  with 
tea,  nalifka,  and  a  variety  of  solid  food,  we  were  pretty  well 
filled  during  a  halt  of  two  hours. 

It  was  toward  midnight  when  we  emerged  from  the  house 
to  continue  our  journey.  Maack  found  his  tarantass  at  Verk- 
ne Udinsk,  and  as  it  was  larger  and  better  than  mine  we 
assigned  the  latter  to  Evan  and  the  baggage,  and  took  the 


374 


THAWING   AND  FREEZING. 


best  to  ourselves.  Evan  was  a  Yakut  whom  my  friend  brought 
from  the  Lena  country.  He  was  intelligent  and  active,  and 
assisted  greatly  to  soften  the  asperities  of  the  route.  With 
my  few  words  of  Russian,  and  his  quick  comprehension,  we 
understood  each  other  very  well. 

During  the  first  few  hours  from  Verkne  Udinsk  the  sky 
was  obscured  and  the  air  warm.  My  furs  were  designed  for 
cold  weather,  and  their  weight  in  the  temperature  then  pre- 
vailing threw  me  into  perspiration.  In  my  debar  I  was  un- 
pleasantly warm,  and  without  it  I  shivered.  I  kept  alter- 
nately opening  and  closing  the  garment,  and  obtained  very 
little  sleep  up  to  our  arrival  at  the  first  station.  While  we 
were  changing  horses  the  clouds  blew  away  and  the  temper- 
ature fell  several  degrees.  Under  the  influence  of  the  cold 
I  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  and  did  not  heed  the  rough,  grater- 
like surface  of  the  recently  frozen  road. 

From  Verkne  Udinsk  to  Lake  Baikal,  the  road  follows  the 
Selenga  valley,  which  gradually  widens  as  one  descends  it. 
The  land  appears  fertile  and  well  adapted  to  farming  pur- 
poses but  only  a  small  portion  is  under  cultivation.  The  in- 
habitants are  pretty  well  rewarded  for  their  labor  if  I  may 
judge  by  the  appearance  of  their  farms  and  villages.  Until 
reaching  Ilyensk,  I  found  the  clifTs  and  mountains  extending 
quite  near  the  river.  In  some  places  the  road  is  cut  into  the 
rocks  in  such  a  way  as  to  afford  excitement  to  a  nervous 
traveler. 

The  villages  were  numerous  and  had  an  air  of  prosperity. 
Here  and  there  new  houses  were  going  up,  and  made  quite  a 
contrast  to  the  old  and  decaying  habitations  near  them.  My 
attention  was  drawn  to  the  well-sweeps  exactly  resembling 
those  in  the  rural  districts  of  New  England.  From  the  size 
of  the  sweeps,  I  concluded  the  wells  were  deep.  The  soil  in 
the  fields  had  a  loose,  friable  appearance  that  reminded  me 
of  the  farming  lands  around  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

One  of  the  villages  where  we  changed  horses  is  called 
Kabansk  from  the  Russian  word  '  Kaban  9  (wild  boar).  This 
animal  abounds  in  the  vicinity  and  is  occasionally  hunted  for 


HUNTING   THE   WILD  BOAR. 


375 


sport.  The  chase  of  the  wild  boar  is  said  to  be  nearly  as 
dangerous  as  that  of  the  bear,  the  brute  frequently  turning 
upon  his  pursuer  and  making  a  determined  fight.  We  passed 
the  Monastery 
of  Troitska 
founded  in  1681 
for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Bou- 
riats.  It  is  an 
imposing  edifice 
built  like  a  Rus- 
sian church  in 
the  middle  of  a 
large  area  sur- 
rounded by  a 
high  wall. 
Though  it  must 
have  impressed 
the  natives  by 
its  architectural 
effects  it  was 
powerless  to 
change  their 
faith. 

As  it  approach- 
es Lake  Baikal 
the  Selenga  di- 
vides into  sev- 
eral branches,  and  encloses  a  large  and  very  fertile  delta. 
The  afternoon  following  our  departure  from  Verkne  Udinsk, 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  lake,  and  looked  over  the  blue  sur- 
face of  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in  Northern  Asia. 
The  mountains  on  the  western  shore  appeared  about  eight  or 
ten  miles  away,  though  they  were  really  more  than  thirty. 
We  skirted  the  shore  of  the  lake,  turning  our  horses'  heads  to 
the  southward.  The  clear  water  reminded  me  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan as  one  sees  it  on  approaching  Chicago  by  railway  from 


WILD  BOAR  HUNT. 


376 


AN    UNPLEASANT  ROAD. 


A  WIFE  AT  IRKUTSK 


the  East.  Its  waves  broke  gently  on  a  pebbly  beach,  where 
the  cold  of  commencing  winter  had  changed  much  of  the 
spray  to  ice. 

There  was  no  steamer  waiting  at  Posolsky,  but  we  were  told 
that  one  was  hourly  expected.  Maack 
was  radiant  at  finding  a  letter  from  his 
wife  awaiting  him  at  the  station.  I  en- 
quired for  letters  but  did  not  obtain  any. 
Unlike  my  companion  I  had  no  wife  at 
Irkutsk. 

The  steamboat  landing  is  nine  versts 
below  the  town,  and  as  the  post  route 
ended  at  Posolsky,  we  were  obliged  to 
engage  horses  at  a  high  rate,  to  take  us 
to  the  port.  The  alternate  freezing  and 
thawing  of  the  road — its  last  act  was  to 
freeze — had  rendered  it  something  like 
the  rough  way  in  a  Son-of-Malta  Lodge, 
agent  assured  us  the  steamer  would  arrive  during  the 
night.  TV  as  there  ever  a  steamboat  agent 
who  did  not  promise  more  than  his  em- 
ployers performed  ? 

According  to  the  tourist's  phrase  the 
port  of  Posolsky  can  be  i  done  '  in  about 
five  minutes.  The  entire  settlement  com- 
prised two  buildings,  one  a  hotel,  and  the 
other  a  storehouse  and  stable.  A  large 
quantity  of  merchandise  was  piled  in  the 
open  air,  and  awaited  removal. 

It  included  tea  from  Kiachta,and  vodki 
or  native  whiskey  from  Irkutsk.  There 
are  several  distilleries  in  the  Trans-Bai- 
kal province,  but  they  arc  unable  to  meet 
the  demand  in  the  country  east  of  the  lake.  From  what  I 
saw  in  transitu  the  consumption  must  be  enormous.  The 
government  has  a  tax  on  vodki  equal  to  about  fifty  cents  a 
gallon,  which  is  paid  by  the  manufacturers.    The  law  is  very 


The 


NO  WIFE  AT  IRKUTSK. 


BIRD   HUNTING   FOR  PASTIME. 


377 


strict,  and  the  penalties  are  so  great  that  I  was  told  no  one 
dared  attempt  an  evasion  of  the  excise  duties,  except  by  brib- 
ing the  collector. 

The  hotel  was  full  of  people  waiting  for  the  boat,  and  the 
accommodations  were  'quite  limited.  We  thought  the  taran- 
tass  preferable  to  the  hotel,  and  retired  early  to  sleep  in  our 
carriage.  A  teamster  tied  his  horses  to  our  wheels,  and  as 
the  brutes  fell  to  kicking  during  the  night,  and  attempted  to 
break  away,  they  disturbed  our  slumbers.  I  rose  at  daybreak 
and  watched  the  yemshiks  making  their  toilet.  The  whole 
operation  was  performed  by  tightening  the  girdle  and  rubbing 
the  half-opened  eyes. 

Morning  brought  no  boat.  There  was  nothing  very  inter- 
esting after  we  had  breakfasted,  and  as  we  might  be  detained 
there  a  whole  week,  the  prospect  was  not  charming.  We 
organized  a  hunting  excursion,  Maack  with  his  gun  and  I 
with  my  revolver.  I  assaulted  the  magpies  which  were  nu- 
merous and  impertinent,  and  succeeded  in  frightening  them. 
Gulls  were  flying  over  the  lake ;  Maack  desired  one  for  his 
cabinet  at  Irkutsk,  but  couldn't  get  him.  He  brought  down 
an  enormous  crow,  and  an  imprudent  hawk  that  pursued  a 
small  bird  in  our  vicinity.  His  last  exploit  was  in  shooting 
a  partridge  which  alighted,  strange  to  say,  on  the  roof  of  the 
hotel  within  twenty  feet  of  a  noisy  crowd  of  yemshiks.  The 
bird  was  of  a  snowy  whiteness,  the  Siberian  partridge  chang- 
ing from  brown  to  white  at  the  beginning  of  winter,  and  from 
white  to  brown  again  as  the  snow  disappears. 

A  "  soudna  "  or  sailing  barge  was  anchored  at  the  entrance 
of  a  little  bay,  and  was  being  filled  with  tea  to  be  transported 
to  Irkutsk.  The  soudna  is  a  bluff-bowed,  broad  sterned  craft, 
a  sort  of  cross  between  Noah's  Ark  and  a  Chinese  junk.  It 
is  strong  but  not  elegant,  and  might  sail  backward  or  side- 
wise  nearly  as  well  as  ahead.  Its  carrying  capacity  is  great 
in  proportion  to  its  length,  as  it  is  very  wide  and  its  sides  rise 
very  high  above  the  water.  Every  soudna  I  saw  had  but  one 
mast  which  carried  a  square  sail.    These  vessels  can  only 


378      EXILES   LANDING   FROM    THE  STEAMER. 


sail  with  the  wind,  and  then  not  very  rapidly.  An  American 
pilot  boat  could  pass  a  thousand  of  them  without  half  trying. 

About  noon  we  saw  a  thin 
v-^r-^^  wreath  of  smoke  betokening 


our  baggage  was  taken  free,  and  we  were  not  even  required 
to  unload  it. 

There  is  no  wharf  at  Posolsky  and  no  harbor,  the  steamers 
anchoring  in  the  open  water  half  a  mile  from  shore.  Pas- 
sengers, mails,  and  baggage  are  taken  to  the  steamer  in  large 
row  boats,  while  heavy  freight  is  carried  in  soudnas.  The 
boat  that  took  us  brought  a  convoy  of  exiles  before  we 
embarked.  They  formed  a  double  line  at  the  edge  of  the 
lake  where  they  were  closely  watched  by  their  guards.  When 
we  reached  the  steamer  we  found  another  party  of  prisoners 
waiting  to  go  on  shore.  All  were  clad  in  sheepskin  pelisses 
and  some  carried  extra  garments.  Several  women  and  chil- 
dren accompanied  the  party,  and  I  observed  two  or  three  old 
men  who  appeared  little  able  to  make  a  long  journey.  One 
sick  man  too  feeble  to  walk,  was  supported  by  his  guards  and 
his  fellow  prisoners. 

Though  there  was  little  wind,  and  that  little  blew  from 
shore,  the  boat  danced  uneasily  on  the  waves.  Our  carriages 
came  off  on  the  last  trip  of  the  boat,  and  were  hoisted  by 
means  of  a  running  tackle  on  one  of  the  steamer's  yards. 

While  our  embarkation  was  progressing  a  crew  of  Russians 
and  Bouriats  towed  the  now  laden  soudna  to  a  position  near 
our  stern.  When  all  was  ready,  we  took  her  hawser,  hoisted 
our  anchor  and  steamed  away.    For  some  time  I  watched  the 


the  approach  of  the  steamer. 
In  joy  at  this  welcome  sight  wc 
dined  and  bought  tickets  for 
the  passage,  ours  of  the  first 
class  being  printed  in  gold, 
while  Evan's  billet  for  the  deck 
was  in  Democratic  black.  It 
cost  fifteen  roubles  for  the 
transport  of  each  tarantass,  but 


A  SOUDNA. 


THE    HOLY   SEA    OP   NORTHERN   ASIA.  379 

low  eastern  shore  of  the  lake  until  it  disappeared  in  the  dis- 
tance. Posolsky  has  a  monastery  built  on  the  spot  where  a 
Russian  embassador  with  his  suite  was  murdered  by  Bouriats 
about  the  year  1680.  The  last  objects  I  saw  behind  me  were 
the  walls,  domes,  and  turrets  of  this  monastery  glistening  in 
the  afternoon  sunlight.  They  rose  clear,  and  distinct  on  the 
horizon,  an  outwork  of  Christianity  against  the  paganism  of 
Eastern  Asia. 

The  steamer  was  the  Ignatienif,  a  side  wheel  boat  of  about 
300  tons.  Her  model  was  that  of  an  ocean  or  coasting  craft, 
she  had  two  masts,  and  could  spread  a  little  sail  if  desired. 
Her  engines  were  built  at  Ekaterineburg  in  the  Ural  Moun- 
tains, and  hauled  overland  2500  miles.  She  and  her  sister 
boat,  the  General  Korsackoff,  are  very  profitable  to  their 
owners  during  the  months  of  summer.  They  carry  passen- 
gers, mails,  and  light  freight,  and  nearly  always  have  one  or 
two  soudnas  in  tow.  Their  great  disadvantage  at  present  is 
the  absence  of  a  port  on  the  eastern  shore. 

The  navigation  of  Lake  Baikal  is  very  difficult.  Storms 
arise  with  little  warning,  and  are  often  severe.  At  times  the 
boats  are  obliged  to  remain  for  days  in  the  middle  of  the  lake 
as  they  cannot  always  make  the  land  while  a  gale  continues. 
There  was  very  little  breeze  when  we  crossed,  but  the  steamer 
was  tossed  quite  roughly.  The  winds  blowing  from  the  moun- 
tains along  the  lake,  frequently  sweep  with  great  violence  and 
drive  unlucky  soudnas  upon  the  rocks. 

The  water  of  the  lake  is  so  clear  that  one  can  see  to  a 
very  great  depth.  The  lake  is  nearly  four  hundred  miles 
long  by  about  thirty  or  thirty-five  in  width  ;  itis  twelve  hund- 
red feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  receives  nearly  two  hund- 
red tributaries  great  and  small.  Its  outlet,  the  Angara,  is 
near  the  southwestern  end,  and  is  said  to  carry  oft°  not  more 
than  a  tenth  of  the  water  that  enters  the  lake.  What  be- 
comes of  the  surplus  is  a  problem  no  one  has  been  able  to 
solve.  The  natives  believe  there  is  an  underground  passage 
to  the  sea,  and  some  geologists  favor  this  opinion.  Sound- 
ings of  2000  feet  have  been  made  without  finding  bottom. 


380 


DANGEROUS  NAVIGATION. 


On  the  western  shore  the  mountains  rise  abruptly  from  the 
water,  and  in  some  places  no  bottom  has  been  found  at  400 
feet  depth,  within  pistol  shot  of  the  bank.  This  fact  renders 
navigation  dangerous,  as  a  boat  might  be  driven  on  shore  in 
even  a  light  breeze  before  her  anchors  found  holding  ground. 

The  natives  have  many  superstitions  concerning  Lake  Bai- 
kal. In  their  language  it  is  the  "  Holy  Sea,"  and  it  would 
be  sacrilege  to  term  it  a  lake.  Certainly  it  has  several  marine 
peculiarities.  Gulls  and  other  ocean  birds  frequent  its  shores, 
and  it  is  the  only  body  of  fresh  water  on  the  globe  where  the 
seal  abounds.  Banks  of  coral  like  those  in  tropical  seas  exist 
in  its  depths. 


AFTER  THE  EARTHQUAKE. 

The  mountains  on  the  western  shore  are  evidently  of  vol- 
canic origin,  and  earthquakes  are  not  unfrequent.    A  few 


A   NOVEL  JOURNEY. 


381 


years  ago  the  village  of  Stepnoi,  about  twenty  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Selenga,  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake.  Part 
of  the  village  disappeared  beneath  the  water  while  another 
part  after  sinking  was  lifted  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  its 
original  level.  Irkutsk  has  been  frequently  shaken  at  the 
foundations,  and  on  one  occasion  the  walls  of  its  churches 
were  somewhat  damaged.  Around  Lake  Baikal  there  are 
several  hot  springs,  some  of  which  attract  fashionable  visitors 
from  Irkutsk  during  the  season. 

The  natives  say  nobody  was  ever  lost  in  Lake  Baikal. 
When  a  person  is  dr  wned  there  the  waves  invariably  throw 
his  body  on  shore. 

The  lake  does  not  freeze  until  the  middle  of  December, 
and  sometimes  later.  Its  temperature  remains  pretty  nearly 
the  same  at  all  seasons,  about  48°  Fahrenheit.  In  winter  it 
is  crossed  on  the  ice,  the  passage  ordinarily  occupying  about 
five  hours.  The  lake  generally  freezes  when  the  air  is  per- 
fectly still  so  that  the  surface  is  of  glossy  smoothness  until 
covered  with  snow.  A  gentleman  in  Irkutsk  described  to  me 
his  feelings  when  he  crossed  Lake  Baikal  in  winter  for  the 
first  time.  The  ice  was  six  feet  thick,  but  so  perfectly  trans- 
parent that  he  seemed  driving  over  the  surface  of  the  water. 
The  illusion  was  complete,  and  not  wholly  dispelled  when  he 
alighted.  "  Starting  from  the  western  side,  the  opposite  coast 
was  not  visible,  and  I  experienced  "  said  my  friend,  "  the  sen- 
sation of  setting  out  in  a  sleigh  to  cross  the  Atlantic  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York." 

In  summer  and  in  winter  communication  is  pretty  regular, 
but  there  is  a  suspension  of  travel  when  the  ice  is  forming,  and 
another  when  it  breaks  up.  This  causes  serious  inconven- 
ience, and  has  led  the  government  to  build  a  road  around  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  lake.  The  mountains  are  lofty 
and  precipitous,  and  the  work  is  done  at  vast  expense.  The 
road  winds  over  cliffs  and  crags  sometimes  near  the  lake,  and 
again  two  thousand  feet  above  it.  Large  numbers  of  peas- 
ants, Bouriats,  and  prisoners  have  been  employed  there  for 


382 


BURNING   A  ROAD. 


several  years,  but  the  route  was  not  open  for  wheeled  vehicles 
at  the  time  I  crossed  the  lake. 

One  mode  of  cutting  the  road  through  the  mountains  was 
to  build  large  bonfires  in  winter  when  the  temperature  was 
very  low.  The  heat  caused  the  rock  to  crack  so  that  large 
masses  could  be  removed,  but  the  operation  was  necessarily 
slow.  The  insurrection  of  June,  1866,  occurred  on  this 
road. 

Formerly  a  winter  station  was  kept  on  the  ice  half-way 
across  the  lake.  By  a  sudden  thaw  at  the  close  of  one  winter 
the  men  and  horses  of  a  station  were  swallowed  up,  and  noth- 
ing was  known  of  them  until  weeks  afterward,  when  their 
bodies  were  washed  ashore.  Since  this  catastrophe  the  en- 
tire passage  of  the  lake,  about  forty  miles,  is  made  without 
change  of  horses. 

We  left  Posolsky  and  enjoyed  a  sunset  on  the  lake.  The 
mountains  rise  abruptly  on  the  western  and  southeastern 
shores,  and  many  of  their  snow  covered  peaks  were  beauti- 
fully tinged  by  the  fading  sunlight.  The  illusion  regarding 
distances  was  difficult  to  overcome,  and  could  only  be  real- 
ized by  observing  how  very  slowly  we  neared  the  mountains 
we  were  approaching.  The  atmosphere  was  of  remarkable 
purity,  and  its  powers  of  refraction  reminded  me  of  past  expe- 
rience in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  We  had  sunset  and  moon- 
rise  at  once.  'Adam  had  no  more  in  Eden  save  the  head  of 
Eve  upon  his  shoulder.' 

The  boat  went  directly  across  and  then  followed  the  edge 
of  the  lake  to  Listvenichna,  our  point  of  debarkation.  There 
was  no  table  on  board.  We  ordered  the  samovar,  made  our 
own  tea,  and  supped  from  the  last  of  our  commissary  stores. 
Our  fellow  passengers  in  the  cabin  were  two  officers  traveling 
to  Irkutsk,  and  a  St.  Petersburg  merchant  who  had  just  fin- 
ished the  Amoor  Company's  affairs.  We  talked,  ate,  drank, 
smoked,  and  slept  during  the  twelve  hours'  journey. 

Congratulate  us  on  our  oxuick  passage  !  On  her  very  next 
voyage  the  steamer  was  eight  days  on  the  lake,  the  wind 
blowing  so  that  she  could  not  come  to  either  shore.    To  be 


A    SIBERIAN    CUSTOM  HOUSE. 


383 


cooped  on  this  dirty  and  ill-provided  boat  long  enough  to  cross 
the  Atlantic  is  a  fate  I  hope  never  to  experience. 

There  is  a  little  harbor  at  Listvenichna  and  we  came  along- 
side a  wharf.  Maack  departed  with  our  papers  to  procure 
horses,  and  left  me  to  look  at  the  vanishing  crowd.  Take  the 
passengers  from  the  steerage  of  a  lake  or  river  steamer  in 
America,  dress  them  in  sheepskin  coats  and  caps,  let  them 
talk  a  language  you  cannot  understand,  and  walk  them  into 
a  cloud  of  steam  as  if  going  overboard  in  a  fog,  and  you 
have  a  passable  reproduction  of  the  scene.  A  bright  fire 
should  be  burning  on  shore  to  throw  its  contrast  of  light  and 
shadow  over  the  surroundings  and  heighten  the  picturesque 
effect. 

Just  as  the  deck  hands  were  rolling  our  carriages  on  shore 
my  companion  returned,  and  announced  our  horses  ready. 
We  sought  a  little  office  near  the  head  of  the  wharf  where 
the  chief  of  the  '  tamojna  '  (custom  house)  held  his  court. 
This  official  was  known  to  Mr.  Maack,  and  on  our  declaring 
that  we  had  no  dutiable  effects  we  were  passed  without 
search. 

As  before  remarked  all  the  country  east  of  Lake  Baikal  is 
open  to  free  trade.  This  result  has  been  secured  by  the  ef- 
forts of  the  present  governor  general  of  Eastern  Siberia. 
Under  his  liberal  and  enlightened  policy  he  has  done  mucli 
to  break  down  the  old  restrictions  and  develop  the  resources 
of  a  country  over  which  he  holds  almost  autocratic  power. 
It  was  about  three  in  the  morning  when  we  started  over  the 
frozen  earth.  Two  miles  from  the  landing  we  reached  the 
custom  house  barrier  where  a  pole  painted  with  the  govern- 
ment colors  stretched  across  the  road.  Presenting  our  papers 
from  the  chief  officer  we  were  not  detained.  On  the  steamer 
when  we  were  nearing  harbor  our  conversation  turned  upon 
the  custom  house.  It  was  positively  asserted  that  the  offi- 
cials were  open  to  pecuniary  compliments,  much,  I  presume 
like  those  in  other  lands.  The  gentleman  from  the  Amoor 
had  considerable  baggage,  and  prepared  a  five  rouble  note  to 
facilitate  his  business.    Evidently  he  gave  too  little  or  did 


384 


FISH   IN  LAKE  BAIKAL. 


not  bribe  the  right  man,  as  I  left  him  vainly  imploring  to  be 
let  alone  in  the  centre  of  a  pile  of  open  baggage,  like  Marius 
in  the  ruins  of  Carthage. 

The  road  follows  the  right  bank  of  the  Angara  from  the 
point  where  it  leaves  the  lake.  The  current  here  is  very 
strong,  and  the  river  rushes  and  breaks  like  the  rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence.  For  several  miles  from  its  source  it  never 
freezes  even  in  the  coldest  winters.  During  the  season  of  ice 
this  open  space  is  the  resort  of  many  waterfowl,  and  is  gen- 
erally enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  mist.  At  the  head  of  the 
river  rises  a  mass  of  rock  known  as  Shaman  Kamen  (spirit's 
rock).  It  is  held  in  great  veneration  by  the  natives,  and  is 
believed  to  be  the  abode  of  a  spirit  who  constantly  overlooks 
the  lake.  When  shamanism  prevailed  in  this  region  many 
human  sacrifices  were  made  at  the  sacred  rock.  The  most 
popular  method  was  by  tying  the  hands  of  the  victim  and 
tossing  him  into  the  'hell  of  waters'  below. 

Many  varieties  of  fish  abound  in  the  lake,  and  ascend  its 
tributary  rivers.  The  fishery  forms  quite  a  business  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  region,  who  find  a  good  market  at  Irkutsk. 
.  .  v,*--  _r_.,_j^'  >,v  The  principal  fish  taken  are 
^^^^firff^^f^  two  or  three  varieties  of  stur- 
geon, the  herring,  pike,  carp, 
the  askina,  and  a  white  fish 
called  tymain.  There  is  a 
remarkable  fish  consisting  of 
a  mass  of  fat  that  burns  like 
a  candle  and  melts  away  in 
the  heat  of  the  sun  or  a  fire. 
It  is  found  dead  on  the  shores 


A  SPECIMEN". 


of  the  lake  after  violent  storms.  A  live  one  has  never  been 
seen. 

The  distance  to  Irkutsk  from  our  landing  was  about  forty 
miles,  and  we  hoped  to  arrive  in  time  for  breakfast.  A  snow 
storm  began  about  daylight,  so  that  I  did  not  see  much  of  the 
wooded  valley  of  the  river.  We  met  a  train  of  sixty  or  sev-. 
enty  carts,  each  carrying  a  cask  of  vodki.    This  liquid  misery 


ARRIVAL   AT  IRKUTSK. 


385 


was  on  its  way  to  the  Trans-Baikal,  and  the  soudna  which 
brought  a  load  of  tea  would  carry  vodki  as  a  return  cargo. 

The  clouds  thinned  and  broke,  the  snow  ceased  falling,  and 
the  valley  became  distinct.  While  I  admired  its  beauty,  we 
reached  the  summit  of  a  hill  and  I  saw  before  me  a  cluster 
of  glittering  domes  and  turrets,  rising  from  a  wide  bend  in 
the  Angara.  At  first  I  could  discern  only  churches,  but  very 
soon  I  began  to  distinguish  the  streets,  avenues,  blocks,  and 
houses  of  a  city.  We  entered  Irkutsk  through  its  eastern 
gate,  and  drove  rapidly  along  a  wide  street,  the  busiest  I  had 
yet  seen  in  Asiatic  Russia. 

Just  as  the  sun  burst  in  full  splendor  through  the  depart 
ing  clouds,  I  alighted  in  the  capital  of  Oriental  Siberia,  half 
around  the  world  from  my  own  home. 


25 


CHAPTER  XXXIY. 


AS  we  entered  the  city  a  Cossack  delivered  a  letter  an- 
nouncing that  I  was  to  be  handed  over  to  the  police, 
who  had  a  lodging  ready  for  me.  On  learning  of  my  pres- 
ence at  Kiacbta  the  Governor  General  kindly  requested  an 
officer  of  his  staff  to  share  his  rooms  with  me.  Captain 
Paul,  with  whom  I  was  quartered,  occupied  pleasant  apart- 
ments overlooking  the  gastinnidver.  He  was  leading  a  bach- 
elor life  in  a  suite  of  six  rooms,  and  had  plenty  of  space  at 
my  disposal.  That  I  might  lose  no  time,  the  Chief  of  Police 
stationed  the  Cossack  with  a  letter  telling  me  where  to  drive. 

I  removed  the  dust  and  costume  of  travel  as  socn  as  pos- 
sible, and  prepared  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral. My  presentation  was  postponed  to  the  following  day, 
and  as  the  Russian  etiquette  forbade  my  calling  on  other  of- 
ficials before  I  had  seen  the  chief,  there  was  little  to  be  done 
in  the  matter  of  visiting. 

The  next  mcrning  I  called  upon  General  Korsackoff,  de- 
livered my  letters  of  introduction,  and  was  most  cordially 
welcomed  to  Irkutsk.  The  Governor  General  of  Eastern  Si- 
beria controls  a  territory  larger  than  all  European  Russia, 
and  much  of  it  is  not  yet  out  of  its  developing  stage,  ne 
has  a  heavy  responsibility  upon  his  shoulders  in  leading  his 
subjects  in  the  way  best  for  their  interests  and  those  of  the 
crown.  Much  has  been  done  under  the  energetic  administra- 
tion of  General  Korsackoff  and  his  predecessor,  and  there  is 
room  to  accomplish  much  more.  The  general  has  ably  with- 
stood the  cares  and  hardships  of  his  Siberian  life.  He  is 
forty-five  years  of  age,  active  and  vigorous,  and  capable  of 

(386) 


OFFICIAL  VISITS. 


doing  much  before  his  way  of  life  is  fallen  into  the  sere  and 
yellow  leaf.  Like  Madame  De  Stael,  he  possesses  the  power 
of  putting  visitors  entirely  at  their  ease.  To  my  single  coun- 
trywomen I  will  whisper  that  General  Korsackoff  is  of  about 
medium  height,  has  a  fair  complexion,  blue  eyes,  and  Saxon 
hair ,  and  a  face  which 
the  most  crabbed 
misanthrope  could 
not  refuse  to  call 
handsome.  He  is 
unmarried,  and  if  ru- 
mor tells  the  truth, 
not  under  engage- 
ment. 

The  Governor  Gen- 
eral lives  in  a  spa- 
cious and  elegant 
iiouse  on  the  bank 
of  the  Angara,  built 
by  a  merchant,  who 
amassed  an  immense 
fortune  in  the  Chi- 
nese trade.  On  re- 
tiring from  business 

he  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  constructing  the  finest 
mansion  in  Eastern  Siberia.  It  is  a  stone  building  of  three 
stories,  and  its  halls  and  parlors  are  of  liberal  extent.  Fur- 
niture was  brought  from  St.  Petersburg  at  enormous  cost, 
and  the  whole  establishment  was  completed  without  regard 
to  expense.  At  the  death  of  its  builder  the  house  was  pur- 
chased by  government,  and  underwent  a  few  changes  to  adapt 
it  to  its  official  occupants.  On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
there  is  a  country  seat,  the  private  property  of  General  Kor- 
sackoff, and  his  dwelling  place  in  the  hot  months. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  that  Mr.  Maack  was  obliged  by 
etiquette  to  visit  his  friends  on  returning  from  his  journey. 
I  arranged  to  accompany  him,  and  during  that  day  and  the 


gov.  gen'l  korsackoff. 


388 


PASSPORT  REGULATIONS. 


next  we  called  upon  many  persons  of  official  and  social  posi- 
tion. These  included  the  Governor  and  Vice  Governor  of 
Irkutsk,  the  chief'  of  staff  and  heads  of  departments,  the 
mayor  of  the  city,  and  the  leading  merchants.  Succeeding 
days  were  occupied  in  receiving  return  visits,  and  when  these 
were  ended  I  was  fairly  a  member  of  the  society  of  the  Si- 
berian capital. 

The  evening  after  my  arrival  I  returned  early  to  my  lodg- 
ings to  indulge  in  a  Russian  bath.  Captain  Paul  was  absent, 
but  his  servant  managed  to  inform  me  by  words  and  panto- 
mime that  all  was  ready  On  the  captain's  return  the  man 
said  he  had  told  me  in  German  that  the  bath  was  waiting. 

"  How  did  you  speak  German  ?  "  asked  the  captain,  aware 
that  his  man  knew  nothing  but  Russian. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  servant,  "  I  rubbed  my  hands  over  my  face 
and  arms  and  pointed  toward  the  bath-room." 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival  the  proprietor  of  the 
house  asked  for  my  passport ;  when  it  returned  it  bore  the 
visa  of  the  chief  of  police.  There  is  a  regulation  throughout 
Russia  that  every  hotel  keeper  or  other  householder  shall 
register  his  patrons  with  the  police.  By  this  means  the  au- 
thorities can  trace  the  movements  of  '  suspects^  and  prevent 
unlicensed  travel.  In  Siberia  the  plan  is  particularly  valu- 
able in  keeping  exiles  on  the  spots  assigned  them. 

At  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  the  police  keep  a  directory 
and  hold  it  open  to  the  public.  When  I  reached  the  capital 
and  wished  to  find  some  friends  who  arrived  a  few  days  be- 
fore me,  I  obtained  their  address  from  this  directory.  Those 
who  sought  my  whereabouts  found  me  in  the  same  way. 

The  weather  was  steadily  cold — about  zero  Fahrenheit — 
and  was  called  mild  for  the  season  by  the  residents  of  Irkutsk. 
I  brought  from  New  York  a  heavy  overcoat  that  braved  the 
storms  of  Broadway  the  winter  before  my  departure.  My 
Russian  friends  pronounced  it  nechevo  (nothing,)  and  advised 
me  to  procure  a  '  shoobaj  or  cloak  lined  with  fur.  The  shooba 
reaches  nearly  to  one's  feet,  and  is  better  adapted  to  riding 
than  walking.    It  can  be  lined  according  to  the  means  and 


STUDIES    OP   THE  LANGUAGE. 


389 


liberality  of  the  wearer.  Sable  is  most  expensive,  and  sheep- 
skin the  least.  Both  accomplish  the  same  end,  as  they  con- 
tain about  equal  quantities  of  heat. 

The  streets  of  Irkutsk  are  of  good  width  and  generally  in- 
tersect at  right  angles.  Most  of  the  buildings  are  of  wood, 
and  usually  large  and  well  built.  The  best  houses  are  of 
stone,  or  of  brick  covered  with  plaster  to  resemble  stone. 
Ycry  few  dwellings  are  entered  directly  from  the  street,  the 
outer  doors  opening  into  yards  according  to  the  Russian  cus- 
tom. To  visit  a  person  you  pass  into  an  enclosure  through  a 
strong  gateway,  generally  open  by  day  but  closed  at  night. 
K'dvornik'  (doorkeeper)  has  the  control  of  this  gate,  and 
is  responsible  for  everything  within  it.  Storehouses  and  all 
other  buildings  of  the  establishment  open  upon  the  enclosure, 
and  frequently  two  or  more  houses  have  one  gate  in  common. 

The  stores  or  magazines  are  numerous,  and  well  supplied 
with  European  goods.  Some  of  the  stocks  are  very  large, 
and  must  require  heavy  capital  or  excellent  credit  to  manage 
them.  Tailors  and  milliners  are  abundant,  and  bring  their 
modes  from  Paris.  Occasionally  they  paint  their  signs  in 
French,  and  display  the  latest  novelties  from  the  center  of 
fashion.  Bakers  are  numerous  and  well  patronized.  '  Frant- 
soosJci  klebj  (French  bread,)  which  is  simply  white  bread 
made  into  rolls,  is  popular  and  largely  sold  in  Irkutsk. 

One  of  my  daily  exercises  in  Russian  was  to  spell  the  signs 
upon  the  stores.  In  riding  I  could  rarely  get  more  than  half 
through  a  word  before  I  was  whisked  out  of  sight.  I  never 
before  knew  how  convenient  are  symbolic  signs  to  a  man  who 
cannot  read.  A  picture  of  a  hat,  a  glove,  or  a  loaf  of  bread 
was  far  more  expressive  to  my  eye  than  the  word  shapka, 
perchatki,  or  kleb,  printed  in  Russian  letters. 

The  Russians  smoke  a  great  deal  of  tobacco  in  paper  cigar- 
ettes or  '  papiros.'9  Everywhere  east  of  Lake  Baikal  the  pa- 
piros  of  Irkutsk  is  in  demand,  and  the  manufacture  there  is 
quite  extensive.  In  Irkutsk  and  to  the  westward  the  brand 
of  Moscow  is  preferred.  The  consumption  of  tobacco  in  this 
form  throughout  the  empire  must  be  something  enormous. 


390      LOCATION    OF    THE    SIBERIAN  CAPITAL. 

I  have  known  a  party  of  half  a  dozen  persons  to  smoke  a 
hundred  cigarettes  in  an  afternoon  and  evening.  Many  ladies 
indulge  in  smoking,  but  the  practice  is  not  universal.  I  do 
not  remember  any  unmarried  lady  addicted  to  it. 

Irkutsk  was  founded  in  1680,  and  has  at  present  a  popula- 
tion of  twenty-eight  or  thirty  thousand.  About  four  thousand 
gold  miners  spend  the  winter  and  their  money  in  the  city. 
Geographically  it  is  in  Latitude  52°  40'  north,  and  Longitude 
104°  20'  east  from  Greenwich.  Little  wind  blows  there,  and 
storms  are  less  frequent  than  at  Moscow  or  St.  Petersburg. 
The  snows  are  not  abundant,  the  quantity  that  falls  being 


VIEW  IN  IRKUTSK. 


smaller  than  in  Boston  and  very  much  less  than  in  Montreal 
or  Quebec.  In  summer  or  winter  the  panorama  of  Irkutsk 
and  its  surroundings  is  one  of  great  beauty. 

There  are  twenty  or  more  churches,  of  which  nearly  all 
are  large  and  finely  placed.  Several  of  them  were  planned 
and  constructed  by  two  Swedish  engineer  officers  captured  at 
Pultawa  and  exiled  to  Siberia.  They  are  excellent  monu- 
ments of  architectural  skill,  and  would  be  ornamental  to  any 
European  city. 

The  Angara  at  Irkutsk  is  about  six  hundred  yards  wide, 
and  flows  with  a  current  of  six  miles  an  hour.    It  varies  in 


POLICE    AND    FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  391 

height  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  inches  during  the  entire 
year.  It  does  not  freeze  until  the  middle  of  January,  and 
opens  early  in  May.  There  are  two  swinging  ferries  for 
crossing  the  river.  A  stout  cable  is  anchored  in  mid-stream, 
and  the  ferry-boat  attached  to  its  unanchored  end.  The 
slack  of  the  cable  is  buoyed  by  several  small  boats,  over 
which  it  passes  at  regular  intervals.  The  ferry  swings  like 
a  horizontal  pendulum,  and  is  propelled  by  turning  its  sides 
at  an  angle  against  the  current.  I  crossed  on  this  ferry  in 
four  minutes  from  bank  to  bank. 

There  are  many  public  carriages  in  the  streets,  to  be  hired 
at  thirty  copecks  the  hour  ;  but  the  drivers,  like  their  profes- 
sion everywhere,  are  inclined  to  overcharge.  Every  one  who 
thinks  he  can  afford  it,  keeps  a  team  of  his  own,  the  horses 
being  generally  of  European  stock.  A  few  horses  have  been 
brought  from  St.  Petersburg ;  the  journey  occupies  a  full 
year,  and  the  animals,  when  safely  arrived,  are  very  costly. 
Private  turnouts  are  neat  and  showy,  and  on  a  fine  afternoon 
the  principal  drives  of  the  city  are  quite  gay.  General  Kor- 
sackoff  has  a  light  wagon  from  New  York  for  his  personal 
driving  in  summer. 

I  found  here  a  curious  regulation.  Sleighs  are  prohibited 
by  municipal  law  from  carrying  bells  in  the  limits  of  the  city. 
Reason :  in  a  great  deal  of  noise  pedestrians  might  be  run 
over.  In  American  cities  the  law  requires  bells  to  be  worn. 
Reason:  unless  there  is  a  noise  pedestrians  might  be  run 
over. 

"  You  pays  your  money  and  you  takes  your  choice. " 

Cossack  policemen  watch  the  town  during  the  day,  and  at 
night  there  are  mounted  and  foot  patrols  carrying  muskets 
with  fixed  bayonets.  Every  block  and  sometimes  every  house 
has  its  private  watchman,  and  at  regular  intervals  during  the 
night  you  may  hear  these  guardians  thumping  their  long 
staves  on  the  pavement  to  assure  themselves  and  others  that 
they  are  awake.  The  fire  department  belongs  to  the  police, 
and  its  apparatus  consists  of  hand  engines,  water  carts,  and 
hook  and  ladder  wagons.    There  are  several  watch  towers, 


392 


RUSSIAN    FIRE  ENGINES. 


from  which  a  semaphore  telegraph  signals  the  existence  of 
fire.  An  electric  apparatus  was  being  arranged  during  my 
stay. 

During  my  visit  there  was  an  alarm  of  fire,  and  I  embrac- 
ed the  opportunity  to  see  how  the  Russians  '  run  with  the 
machine.'  When  I  reached  the  street  the  engines  and  water 
carts  were  dashing  in  the  direction  of  the  fire.  The  water 
carts  were  simply  large  casks  mounted  horizontally  on  four 
wheels ;  a  square  hole  in  the  top  served  to  admit  a  bucket  or 
a  suction  hose.  These  carts  bring  water  from  the  nearest 
point  of  supply,  which  may  be  the  river  or  an  artificial  reser- 
voir, according  to  the  locality  of  the  fire.  Engines  and  carts 
are  drawn  by  horses,  which  appear  well  selected  for  strength 
and  activity.    All  the  firemen  wore  brass  helmets. 

The  burning  house  was  small  and  quite  disengaged  from 
others,  and  as  there  was  no  wind  there  was  no  danger  of  a 
serious  conflagration.  The  Chief  of  Police  directed  the 
movements  of  his  men.  The  latter  worked  their  engines 
vigorously,  but  though  the  carts  kept  in  active  motion  the 
supply  of  water  was  not  equal  to  the  demand.  For  some 
time  it  seemed  doubtful  which  would  triumph,  the  flames  or 
the  police.  Fortune  favored  the  brave.  The  building  was 
saved,  though  in  a  condition  of  incipient  charcoalism. 

The  Chief  of  Police  wore  his  full  uniform  and  decorations 
as  the  law  requires  of  him  when  on  duty.  During  the  affair 
he  was  thoroughly  spattered  with  water  and  covered  with 
dirt  and  cinders.  When  he  emerged  he  presented  an  appear- 
ance somewhat  like  that  of  a  butterfly  after  passing  through 
a  sausage  machine.  A  detachment  of  soldiers  came  to  the 
spot  but  did  not  form  a  cordon  around  it.  Every  spectator 
went  as  near  the  fire  as  he  thought  prudent,  but  was  careful 
not  to  get  in  the  way.  Two  or  three  thousand  officers,  sol- 
diers, merchants,  exiles,  moujiks,  women,  boys,  and  beggars 
gathered  in  the  street  to  look  at  the  display. 

The  Russian  fire  engines  and  water  carts  with  their  com- 
plement of  men,  and  each  drawn  by  three  horses  abreast, 
present  a  picturesque  appearance  as  they  dash  through  the 


WINE,    WOOD,    AND    OTHER    SUPPLIES.  393 

streets.  The  engines  at  Irkutsk  are  low-powered  squirts, 
worked  by  hand,  less  effective  than  the  hand  engines  used  in 
America  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago,  and  far  behind  our 
steamers  of  the  present  day.  In  Moscow  and  St.  Petersburg 
the  fire  department  has  been  greatly  improved  during  the 
past  ten  years,  and  is  now  quite  efficient. 

The  markets  of  Irkutsk  are  well  supplied  with  necessaries 
of  life.  Beef  is  abundant  and  good,  at  an  average  retail  price 
of  seven  copecks  a  pound.  Fish  and  game  are  plentiful,  and 
sell  at  low  figures.  The  rebchik,  or  wood-hen,  is  found 
throughout  Siberia,  and  is  much  cheaper  in  the  market  than 
any  kind  of  domestic  fowl.  Pork,  veal,  and  mutton  are  no 
more  expensive  than  beef,  and  all  vegetables  of  the  country 
are  at  corresponding  rates.  In  fact  if  one  wilj  eschew  Euro- 
pean luxuries  he  can  live  very  cheaply  at  Irkutsk.  Every- 
thing that  comes  from  beyond  the  Urals  is  expensive,  on  ac- 
count of  the  long  land  carriage. 

Champagne  costs  five  or  six  roubles  a  bottle,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  it  is  drank.  Sherry  is  from  two  to  seven  roubles 
according  to  quality,  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  white  and 
red  wines.  The  lowest  price  of  sugar  is  thirty  copecks  the 
pound,  and  it  is  oftener  forty-five  or  fifty.  Porter  and  ale 
cost  two  or  three  roubles  a  bottle,  and  none  but  the  best  Eng- 
lish brands  are  drank.  The  wines  are  almost  invariably  ex- 
cellent, and  any  merchant  selling  even  a  few  cases  of  bad 
wine  would  very  likely  lose  his  trade.  Clothes  and  all  articles 
of  personal  wear  cost  about  as  much  as  in  St.  Louis  or  New 
Orleans.  Labor  is  neither  abundant  nor  scarce.  A  good 
man-servant  receives  ten  to  fifteen  roubles  a  month  with 
board. 

Wood  comes  in  soudnas  from  the  shores  of  Lake  Baikal 
and  is  very  cheap.  These  vessels  descend  the  river  by  the 
force  of  the  current,  but  in  going  against  it  are  towed  by 
horses.  The  principal  market  place  is  surrounded  with  shops 
where  a  varied  and  miscellaneous  lot  of  merchandise  is  sold. 
I  found  ready-made  clothing,  crockery,  boots,  whisky,  hats, 
furniture,  flour,  tobacco,  and  so  on  through  a  long  list  of  sale- 


394 


SCENES    IN    THE    M  AltKET-PLACE. 


able  and  unsaleable  articles.  How  such  a  mass  could  find 
customers  was  a  puzzle.  Nearly  all  the  shops  are  small  and 
plain,  and  there  arc  many  stalls  or  stands  which  require  but 
a  small  capital  to  manage.  A  great  deal  of  haggling  takes 
place  in  transactions  at  these  little  establishments,  and  I  oc- 
casionally witnessed  some  amusing  scenes. 

The  best  time  to  view  the  market  is  on  Sunday  morning, 
when  the  largest  crowd  is  gathered.  My  first  visit  was  made 
one  Sunday  when  the  thermometer  stood  at  — 15°  Fahren- 
heit. The  market  houses  and  the  open  square  were  full  of 
people,  and  the  square  abounded  in  horses  and  sleds  from  the 
country.  A  great  deal  of  traffic  was  conducted  on  these  sleds 
or  upon  the  solid  snow-packed  earth.  The  crowd  comprised 
men,  women,  and  children  of  all  ages  and  all  conditions  in 


with  somebody,  but  our  Mus- 
covite neighbor  is  of  a  different  temperament.    TYhcn  drunk 
he  falls  to  caressing  and  gives  kisses  in  place  of  blows. 
The  most  novel  sight  that  day  in  the  market  at  Irkutsk 


A  COLD  ATTACHMENT. 


life.  Peasants  from  the  coun- 
try and  laborers  from  the 
city,  officers,  tradesme  n, 
heads  of  families,  and  fam- 
ilies without  heads,  busy  men, 
and  idlers,  were  mingled  as 
at  a  popular  gathering  in 
City  Hall  Park.  Everybody 
was  in  warm  garments,  the 
lower  classes  wearing  coats 
and  pelisses  of  sheepskin, 
wliile  the  others  were  in  furs 
more  or  less  expensive.  Oc- 
casionally a  drunken  man 
was  visible,  but  there  were 
no  indications  of  a  tendency 
to  fight.  The  intoxicated 
American,  eight  times  out  of 
ten,  endeavors   to  quarrel 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    FROST.  395 

was  the  embrace  of  two  drunken  peasants.  They  kissed  each 
other  so  tenderly  and  so  long  that  the  intense  cold  congealed 
their  breath  and  froze  their  beards  together.  I  left  them  as 
they  were  endeavoring  to  arrange  a  separation. 

A  few  beggars  circulated  in  the  crowd  and  gathered  here 
and  there  a  copeck. 

The  frost  whitened  the  beards  of  the  men  and  reddened 
the  cheeks  of  the  women.  Where  hands  were  bared  to  the 
breeze  they  were  of  a  corned-beefy  hue,  and  there  were  many 
persons  stamping  on  the  ground  or  swinging  their  arms  to 
keep  u}5  a  circulation.  The  little  horses,  standing,  were  white 
with  frost,  but  none  of  them  covered  with  blankets.  The 
Siberian  horses  are  not  blanketed  in  winter,  but  I  was  told 
they  did  not  suffer  from  cold.  Their  coats  are  thick  and 
warm  and  frequently  appear  more  like  fur  than  hair. 

Everything  that  could  be  frozen  had  succumbed  to  the  frost. 
There  were  frozen  chickens,  partridges,  and  other  game, 
thrown  in  heaps  like  bricks  or  stove  wood.  Beef,  pork,  and 
mutton  were  alike  solid,  and  some  of  the  vendors  had  placed 
their  animals  in  fantastic  positions  before  freezing  them.  In 
one  place  I  saw  a  calf  standing  as  if  ready  to  walk  away. 
His  skin  remained,  and  at  first  sight  I  thought  him  alive,  but 
was  undeceived  when  a  man  overturned  the  unresisting  beast. 
Frozen  fish  were  piled  carelessly  in  various  places,  and  milk 
was  offered  for  sale  in  cakes  or  bricks.  A  stick  or  string  was  * 
generally  frozen  into  a  corner  of  the  mass  to  facilitate  carry- 
ing. One  could  swing  a  quart  of  milk  at  his  side  or  wrap  it 
in  his  kerchief  at  discretion. 

There  were  many  peripatetic  dealers  in  cakes  and  tea,  the 
latter  carrying  small  kettles  of  the  hot  beverage,  which  they 
served  in  tumblers.  Occasionally  there  was  a  man  with  a 
whole  litter  of  sucking  pigs  frozen  solid  and  slung  over  his 
shoulder  or  festooned  into  a  necklace.  The  diminutive  size 
of  these  pigs  awakened  reflections  upon  the  brevity  of  swin- 
ish life. 


CHAPTER  XXXY. 


CUSTOM  is  the  same  at  Irkutsk  as  in  all  fashionable  soci- 
ety of  the  empire.  Visits  of  ceremony  are  made  in  full 
dress — uniform  for  an  officer  and  evening  costume  for  a  civ- 
ilian. Ceremonious  calls  are  pretty  short,  depending  of  course 
upon  the  position  and  intimacy  of  the  parties.  The  Russians 
are  very  punctilious  in  making  and  receiving  visits.  So 
many  circumstances  are  to  be  considered  that  I  was  always 
in  dread  of  making  a  mistake  of  etiquette  somewhere. 

Nearly  all  my  acquaintances  in  Irkutsk  spoke  French  or 
English,  though  comparatively  few  conversed  with  me  in  the 
latter  tongue.  The  facility  with  which  the  Russians  acquire 
language  has  been  often  remarked.  Almost  all  Russians 
who  possess  any  education,  are  familiar  with  at  least  one  lan- 
guage beside  their  own.  Very  often  I  found  a  person  con- 
versant with  two  foreign  languages,  and  it  was  no  unusual 
thing  to  find  one  speaking  three.  I  knew  a  young  officer  at 
Irkutsk  who  spoke  German,  French,  English,  and  Swedish, 
and  had  a  very  fair  smattering  of  Chinese,  Manjour,  and 
Japanese.  A  young  lady  there  conversed  well  and  charm- 
ingly in  English,  French,  and  German  and  knew  something 
of  Italian.  It  was  more  the  exception  than  the  rule  that  I 
met  an  officer  with  whom  I  could  not  converse  in  French. 
French  is  the  society  language  of  the  Russian  capital,  and 
one  of  the  first  requisites  in  education. 

Children  are  instructed  almost  from  infancy.  Governesses 
are  generally  French  or  English,  and  conversation  with  their 
charges  is  rarely  conducted  in  Russian.    Tutors  are  gener- 
ally Germans  familiar  with  French.    There  is  no  other  coun- 
(396) 


RUSSIAN  LINGUISTS. 


397 


try  in  the  world  where  those  who  can  afford  it  are  so  atten- 
tive to  the  education  of  their  children.  This  attention  added 
to  the  peculiar  temperament  of  the  Russians  makes  them  the 
best  linguists  in  the  world. 

An  English  gentleman  and  lady,  the  latter  speaking  Rus- 
sian fluently,  lived  in  Siberia  several  years.  During  their 
sojourn  a  son  was  born  to  them.  It  was  a  long  time  before 
he  began  talking,  so  long  in  fact,  that  his  parents  feared  he 
would  be  dumb.  When  he  commenced  he  was  very  soon 
fluent  in  both  English  and  Russian.  His  long  hesitation  was 
doubtless  caused  by  the  confusion  of  two  languages. 

The  present  emperor  is  an  accomplished  linguist,  but  no 
exception  in  this  partic- 
ular to  the  Imperial  fam- 
ily in  general.  The 
Queen  of  Greece,  a  niece 
of  the  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia, is  said  to  be  very 
prompt  to  learn  a  new 
language  whenever  it 
comes  in  her  way,  and 
when  she  was  selected 
for  that  royal  position 
she  conquered  the  great 
language  in  a  very  short 
time.  French  is  the 
leading  foreign  language 
among  the  Russians, 
and  the  second  rank  is 
held  by  the  German. 

Of  late  years  English  has  become  very  popular,  and  is  being 
rapidly  acquired.  The  present  entente  cordiale  between  Rus- 
sia and  the  United  States  is  exerting  an  influence  for  the 
increased  study  of  our  language.  Why  should  we  not  return 
the  compliment  and  bestow  a  little  attention  upon  the  Sla- 
vonic tongue  ? 

Most  persons  in  society  at  Irkutsk  were  from  European 


QUEEN  OF  GREECE. 


398     PECULIARITIES    OF  SIBERIAN  SOCIETY. 

Russia  or  had  spent  some  time  in  Moscow  at  St.  Petersburg. 
Of  the  native  born  Siberians  there  were  few  who  had  not 
made  a  journey  beyond  the  Ural  Mountains.  Among  the 
officials,  St.  Petersburg  was  usually  the  authority  in  the  mat- 
ter of  life  and  habit,  while  the  civilians  turned  their  eyes 
toward  Moscow.  Society  in  Irkutsk  was  not  less  polished 
than  in  the  capitals,  and  it  possessed  the  advantage  of  being 
somewhat  more  open  and  less  rigid  than  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Imperial  palace.  Etiquette  is  etiquette  in  any  part  of 
the  empire,  and  its  forms  must  everywhere  be  observed.  But 
after  the  social  forms  were  complied  with  there  was  less  stiff- 
ness than  in  European  Russia. 

Some  travelers  declare  that  they  found  Siberian  society 
more  polished  than  that  of  Old  Russia.  On  this  point  I  can- 
not speak  personally,  as  my  stay  in  the  western  part  of  the 
empire  was  too  brief  to  afford  much  insight  into  its  life.  There 
may  be  some  truth  in  the  statement.  Siberia  has  received  a 
great  many  individuals  of  high  culture  in  the  persons  of  its 
political  exiles.  Men  of  liberal  education,  active  intellects, 
and  refined  manners  have  been  in  large  proportion  among  the 
banished  Poles,  and  the  exiles  of  1825  included  many  of 
Russia's  ablest  minds.  The  influence  of  these  exiles  upon 
the  intelligence,  habits,  and  manners  of  the  Siberians,  has 
left  an  indelible  mark.  As  a  new  civilization  is  more  plastic 
than  an  old  one,  so  the  society  of  Northern  Asia  may  have 
become  more  polished  than  that  of  Ancient  Russia. 

I  could  learn  of  only  six  of  my  countrymen  who  had  been 
at  Irkutsk  before  me.  Of  these  all  but  two  passed  through 
the  city  with  little  delay,  and  were  seen  by  very  few  persons. 
I  happened  to  reach  Siberia  when  our  iron-clad  fleet  was  at 
Cronstadt,  and  its  officers  were  being  feasted  at  St.  Peters- 
burg and  elsewhere.  The  Siberians  regretted  that  Mr.  Fox 
and  his  companions  could  not  visit  them,  and  experience  their 
hospitality.  So  they  determined  to  expend  their  enthusiasm 
on  the  first  American  that  appeared,  and  rather  unexpectedly 
I  became  the  recipient  of  the  will  of  the  Siberians  toward 
the  United  States. 


AN    OFFICIAL  BANQUET. 


399 


Two  days  after  my  arrival  I  was  visited  by  Mr.  Hamenof, 
one  of  the  wealthiest  merchants  of  Irkutsk.  As  he  spoke 
only  Russian,  he  was  accompanied  by  my  late  fellow-traveler 
who  came  to  interpret  between  us,  and  open  the  conversation 
with — 

"  Mr.  Hamenof  presents  his  compliments,  and  wishes  you 
to  dine  with  him  day  after  to-morrow." 

I  accepted  the  invitation,  and  the  merchant  departed.  Maack 
informed  me  that  the  dinner  would  be  a  ceremonious  one, 
attended  by  the  Governor  General  and  leading  officials. 

About  forty  persons  were  present,  and  seated  according  to 
rank.  The  tables  were  set  on  three  sides  of  a  square  apart- 
ment, the  post  of  honor  being  in  the  central  position  facing 
the  middle  of  the  room.  The  dinner  was  served  in  the 
French  manner,  and  but  for  the  language  and  uniforms  around 
me,  and  a  few  articles  in  the  bill  of  fare,  I  could  have  thought 
myself  in  a  private  parlor  of  the  Trois  Freres  or  the  Cafe 
Anglais. 

Madame  Ditmar,  the  wife  of  the  governor  of  the  Trans- 
Baikal,  was  the  only  lady  present.  When  the  champagne  ap- 
peared, Mr.  Hamenof  proposed  "  The  United  States  of  Amer- 
ica," and  prefaced  his  toast  with  a  little  speech  to  his  Rus- 
sian guests.  I  proposed  the  health  of  the  Emperor,  and  then 
the  toasts  became  irregular  and  applied  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, the  master  of  the  house,  the  ladies  of  Siberia,  the  Rus- 
so- American  Telegraph,  and  various  other  persons,  objects, 
and  enterprises. 

From  the  dinner  table  we  adjourned  to  the  parlors  where 
tea  and  coffee  were  brought,  and  most  of  the  guests  were 
very  soon  busy  at  the  card  tables.  On  reaching  my  room 
late  at  night,  I  found  a  Russian  document  awaiting  me,  and 
with  effort  and  a  dictionary,  I  translated  it  into  an  invitation 
to  an  official  dinner  with  General  Korsackoff.  Five  minutes 
before  the  appointed  hour  I  accompanied  a  friend  to  the  Gov- 
ernor General's  house.  As  we  entered,  servants  in  military 
garb  took  our  shoobas,  and  we  were  ushered  into  a  large 
parlor.    General  Korsackoff  and  many  of  the  invited  guests 


400 


AN    AFTER-DINNER  SPEECH. 


were  assembled  in  the  parlor,  and  within  two  minutes  the 
entire  party  had  gathered.  As  the  clock  struck  five  the  doors 
were  thrown  open,  and  the  general  led  the  way  to  the  dining 
hall. 

I  found  at  Irkutsk  a  great  precision  respecting  appoint- 
ments. When  dinners  were  to  come  off  at  a  fixed  hour  all 
the  guests  assembled  from  three  to  ten  minutes  before  the 
time  specified.  I  never  knew  any  one  to  come  late,  and  all 
were  equally  careful  not  to  come  early.  No  one  could  be 
more  punctual  than  General  Korsackoff,  and  his  example  was 
no  doubt  carefully  watched  and  followed.  It  is  a  rule  through- 
out official  circles  in  Russia,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  that 
tardiness  implies  disrespect.  Americans  might  take  a  few 
lessons  of  the  Russians  on  the  subject  of  punctuality. 

The  table  was  liberally  decorated  with  flowers  and  plants, 
and  the  whole  surroundings  were  calculated  to  make  one  for- 
get that  he  was  in  cold  and  desolate  Siberia.  A  band  of  music 
was  stationed  in  the  adjoining  parlor,  and  furnished  us  with 

Russian  and  American 
airs.  At  the  first  toast 
General  Korsackoff  made 
a  speech  in  Russian,  re- 
counting the  amity  exist- 
ing between  the  two  na- 
tions and  the  visit  of  our 
special  embassy  to  con- 
gratulate the  Emperor  on 
his  escape  from  assassin- 
ation. He  thought  the 
Siberians  felt  no  less 
grateful  at  this  mark  of 
sympathy  than  did  the 
people  of  European  Rus- 
sia, and  closed  by  pro- 
posing, "  The  President, 


EMPEROR  OF  RUSSIA. 


Congress,  and  People  of  the  United  States." 


A.   LONG  SPEECH. 


401 


The  toast  was  received  with  enthusiasm,  the  band  playing 
Yankee  Doodle  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  cheering. 

The  speech  was  translated  to  me  by  Captain  Linden,  the 
private  Secretary  of  the  Governor  General,  who  spoke  French 
and  English  fluently.  Etiquette  required  me  to  follow  with 
a  toast  to  the  emperor  in  my  little  speech.  I  spoke  slowly 
to  facilitate  the  hearing  of  those  who  understood  English. 
The  Captain  then  translated  it  into  Russian. 

General  Korsackoff  spoke  about  four  minutes,  and  I  think 
my  response  was  of  the  same  length.  Both  speeches  were 
considered  quite  elaborate  by  the  Siberians,  and  one  officer 
declared  it  was  the  longest  dinner-table  address  the  general 
ever  made.  Two  days  later  at  another  dinner  I  asked  a 
friend  to  translate  my  remarks  when  I  came  to  speak.  He 
asked  how  long  I  proposed  talking. 

"  About  three  minutes,"  was  my  reply. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  you  had  better  make  it  one  or  two  min- 
utes. You  made  a  long  speech  at  the  Governor  General's, 
and  when  you  dine  with  a  person  of  less  importance  he  will 
not  expect  you  to  speak  as  much." 

I  had  not  taken  this  view  of  the  matter,  as  the  American 
custom  tends  to  brevity  on  the  ascending  rather  than  on  the 
descending  scale. 

Ten  years  earlier  Major  Collins  dined  with  General  Mou- 
raviefT  in  the  same  hall  where  I  was  entertained.  After  din- 
ner I  heard  a  story  at  the  expense  of  my  enterprising  prede- 
cessor. It  is  well  known  that  the  Major  is  quite  a  speech 
maker  at  home,  and  when  he  is  awakened  on  a  favorite  sub- 
ject he  has  no  lack  either  of  ideas  or  words. 

On  the  occasion  just  mentioned,  General  Mouravieff  gave 
the  toast,  "  Russia  and  America,"  Major  Collins  rose  to  reply 
^and  after  speaking  six  or  eight  minutes  came  to  a  pause, 
i Captain  Martino'f,  who  understood  English,  was  seated  near 
the  Major.  As  the  latter  stopped,  General  Mouravieff  turned 
to  the  Captain  and  asked : 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  translate  what  has  been  said  ?" 

"  Blagodariete"  (he  thanks  you)  said  the  captain. 
26 


402 


THE   AM  OOR  HOTEL. 


The  Major  proceeded  six  or  eight  minutes  more  and  paused 
again. 

"  Translate,"  was  the  renewed  command  of  the  Governor 
General. 

"  He  thanks  you  very  much." 

Again  another  period  of  speech  and  the  address  was  fin- 
ished. 

"  Translate  if  you  please,"  the  general  suggested  once 
more  to  his  aid. 

"  He  thanks  you  very  much  indeed." 

The  Major  was  puzzled,  and  turning  to  Captain  Martinoff 
remarked  that  the  Russian  language  must  be  very  compre- 
hensive when  a  speech  of  twenty  minutes  could  be  translated 
in  three  or  four  words. 

On  days  when  I  was  disengaged  I  dined  at  the  Amoorski 
G-astinitza  or  Amoor  Hotel.  The  hotel  comprised  two  build- 
ings, one  containing  the  rooms  of  lodgers,  and  the  other  de- 
voted to  restaurant,  dining  and  billiard  rooms.  In  the  dining 
department  there  were  several  rooms,  a  large  one  for  a  res- 
taurant and  table  d'hote,  and  the  rest  for  private  parties. 
Considering  the  general  character  of  Russian  hotels  the  one 
at  Irkutsk  was  quite  creditable.  In  its  management,  cookery, 
and  service  it  would  compare  favorably  with  the  establish- 
ments on  Courtlandt  Street  or  Park  Row. 

In  the  billiard  room  there  were  two  tables  on  which  I 
sometimes  complied  with  a  request  to  i  show  the  American 
game.'  The  tables  had  six  pockets  each,  and  as  the  cues  had 
no  leather  tips,  there  was  an  unpleasant  clicking  whenever 
they  were  used.  The  Russian  game  of  billiards  is  played 
with  five  balls,  and  the  science  consists  in  pocketing  the  balls. 
The  carom  does  not  count. 

The  first  time  I  dined  at  the  hotel  the  two  candles  burned 
dimly,  and  we  called  for  a  third.  When  it  was  brought  the 
servant  drew  a  small  table  near  us  and  placed  the  extra  can- 
dle upon  it.  I  asked  the  reason  for  his  doing  so,  and  it  was 
thus  explained. 

There  is  a  superstition  in  Russia  that  if  three  lighted  can- 


"OPEN   HOUSE"    IN  SIBERIA. 


403 


dies  are  placed  upon  a  table  some  one  in  the  room  will  die 
within  a  year.  Everybody  endeavors  to  avoid  such  a  calam- 
ity. If  you  have  two  candles  and  order  another,  the  servant 
will  place  the  third  on  a  side  table  or  he  will  bring  a  fourth 
and  make  your  number  an  even  one. 

There  was  formerly  a  theatre  at  Irkutsk,  but  it  was  burned 
a  few  years  ago,  and  has  not  been  rebuilt.  During  my  stay 
there  was  a  musical  concert  in  the  large  hall  of  the  officers' 
club,  and  a  theatrical  display  was  prepared  but  not  concluded 
before  my  departure.  At  the  concert  a  young  officer,  Captain 
Lowbry,  executed  on  the  piano  several  pieces  of  his  own 
composition,  and  was  heartily  applauded  by  the  listeners. 
Once  a  week  there  was  a  social  party  at  the  club  house  where 
dancing,  cards,  billiards,  and  small  talk  continued  till  after 
midnight. 

Nearly  every  one  in  society  kept 4  open  house  '  daily.  In 
most  of  the  families  where  I  was  acquainted  tea  was  taken 
at  8  P.  M.,  and  any  friend  could  call  at  that  hour  without 
ceremony.  The  samovar  was  placed  on  the  table,  and  one 
of  the  ladies  presided  over  the  tea.  Those  who  wished  it 
could  sit  at  table,  but  there  was  no  formal  spreading  of  the 
cloth.  Tea  was  handed  about  the  room  and  each  one  took  it 
at  his  liking.  I  have  seen  in  these  social  circles  a  most 
pleasing  irregularity  in  tea  drinking.  Some  were  seated  on 
sofas  and  chairs,  holding  cups  and  saucers  in  their  hands  or 
resting  them  upon  tables  ;  other  stood  in  groups  of  two,  three, 
or  more  ;  others  were  at  cards,  and  sipped  their  tea  at  inter- 
vals of  the  games ;  and  a  few  were  gathered  around  the 
hostess  at  the  samovar.  The  time  passed  in  whatever  amuse- 
ments were  attainable.  There  were  cards  for  some  and  con- 
versation for  others,  with  piano  music,  little  dances  and  gen- 
eral sports  of  considerable  variety.  Those  evenings  at 
Irkutsk  were  delightful,  and  I  shall  always  remember  them 
with  pleasure. 

What  with  visits,  dinners,  balls,  suppers,  social  evenings, 
and  sleigh  rides,  I  had  little  time  to  myself,  and  though  I 
economized  every  minute  I  did  not  succeed  in  finishing  my 


404 


VISITING    A    RUSSIAN  HOUSE. 


letters  and  journal  until  the  very  day  before  my  departure. 
The  evening  parties  lasted  pretty  late.  They  generally  closed 
with  a  supper  toward  the  wee  small  hours,  and  the  good  nights 
were  not  spoken  until  about  two  in  the  morning. 

There  is  a  peculiarity  about  a  Russian  party, — whether  a 
quiet  social  assemblage  or  a  stately  ball, — that  the  whole 
house  is  thrown  open.  In  America  guests  are  confined  to  the 
parlors  and  the  dancing  and  supper  apartments,  from  the 
time  they  leave  the  cloaking  rooms  till  they  prepare  for  de- 
parture. In  Russia  they  can  wander  pretty  nearly  where 
they  please,  literally  "  up  stairs,  down  stairs,  or  in  my  lady's 
chamber."  Of  course  all  the  rooms  are  prepared  for  visitors, 
but  I  used  at  first  to  feel  a  shrinking  sensation  when  I  saunt- 
ered into  the  private  study  and  work  room  of  my  official  host, 
or  found  myself  among  the  scent  bottles  and  other  toilet 
treasures  of  a  lady  acquaintance.  This  literal  keeping  of 
'  open  house '  materially  assists  to  break  the  stiffness  of  an 
assemblage  though  it  can  hardly  be  entirely  convenient  to  the 
hosts. 

Immediately  after  my  entertainment  with  General  Kor- 
sackoff,  the  mayor  of  Irkutsk  invited  me  to  an  official  dinner 
at  his  house.  This  was  followed  a  few  days  later  by  a  similar 
courtesy  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Trepaznikoff,  the  son  of  a  wealthy 
merchant  who  died  a  few  years  ago.  Private  dinners  fol- 
lowed in  rapid  succession  until  I  was  qualified  to  speak  with 
practical  knowledge  of  the  Irkutsk  cuisine.  No  stranger  in 
a  strange  land  was  ever  .more  kindly  taken  in,  and  no  hospi- 
tality was  ever  bestowed  with  less  ostentation.  I  can  join  in 
the  general  testimony  of  travelers  that  the  Russians  excel  in 
the  ability  to  entertain  visitors. 

Mr.  Kartesheftsoff,  the  Mayor,  or  Golovah  as  he  is  calle'd, 
resided  in  a  large  house  that  formerly  belonged  to  Prince 
Trubetskoi,  one  of  the  exiles  of  1825.  My  host  was  an  ex- 
tensive owner  of  gold  mines,  and  had  been  very  successful  in 
working  them.  He  was  greatly  interested  in  the  means  em- 
ployed in  California  for  separating  gold  from  earth,  and  es- 
pecially in  the  '  hydraulic 9  process.  On  my  first  visit  Madame 


A   STRANGE  RIVER. 


405 


Kartesheftsoff  spoke  very  little  French.  She  must  have  sub- 
mitted her  studies  to  a  thorough  revision  as  I  found  her  a 
week  later  able  to  conduct  a  conversation  with  ease.  There 
were  other  instances  of  a  vigorous  overhauling  of  disused 
French  and  English  that  furnished  additional  proof  of  the 
Russian  adaptability  to  foreign  tongues. 

To  reach  the  golovah's  house  we  crossed  the  Ouska-kofka, 
a  small  river  running  through  the  northern  part  of  Irkutsk  ; 
it  had  been  recently  frozen,  and  several  rosy-cheeked  boys 
were  skating  on  the  ice.  The  view  from  the  bridge  is  quite 
picturesque,  and  the  little  valley  forms  a  favorite  resort  in 
certain  seasons  of  the  year.  The  water  of  the  Ouska-kofka 
is  said  to  be  denser  than  that  of  the  Angara,  and  on  that  ac- 
count is  preferred  for  culinary  purposes. 


CHAPTEE  XXXYI. 


I HAVE  made  occasional  mention  of  the  exiles  of  1825, 
and  it  may  be  well  to  explain  how  they  went  to  Siberia. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century  Russia  was  not  alto- 
gether happy.  The  Emperor  Paul,  called  to  the  throne  by 
the  death  of  Catherine  II.,  did  not  display  marked  ability, 
but,  *  on  the  contrary,  quite  the  reverse.'  What  his  mother 
had  done  for  the  improvement  of  the  country  he  was  inclined 
to  undo.  Under  his  reign  great  numbers  were  banished  to 
Siberia  upon  absurd  charges  or  mere  caprice.  The  emperor 
issued  manifestoes  of  a  whimsical  character,  one  of  which 
was  directed  against  round  hats,  and  another  against  shoe 
strings.  The  glaring  colors  now  used  upon  bridges,  distance 
posts,  watch  boxes,  and  other  imperial  property,  were  of  his 
selection,  and  so  numerous  were  his  eccentricities  that  he 
was  declared  of  unsound  mind.  In  March,  1801,  he  was 
smothered  in  his  palace,  which  he  had  just  completed.  It  is 
said  that  within  an  hour  after  the  fact  of  his  death  was 
known  round  hats  appeared  on  the  street  in  great  numbers. 

Alexander  I.  endeavored  to  repair  some  of  the  evils  of  his 
father's  reign.  He  recalled  many  exiles  from  Siberia,  sup- 
pressed the  secret  inquisition,  and  restored  many  rights  of 
which  the  people  had  been  deprived.  His  greatest  abilities 
were  displayed  during  the  wars  with  France.  After  the  gen- 
eral peace  he  devoted  himself  to  inspecting  and  developing 
the  resources  of  the  country,  and  was  the  first,  and  thus  far 
the  only,  emperor  of  Russia  to  cross  the  Ural  Mountains  and 
visit  the  mines  of  that  region.  His  death  occurred  during  a 
tour  through  the  southern  provinces  of  the  empire.  Some 

(406) 


THE    INSURRECTION    OF    1825.  407 

of  his  reforms  were  based  upon  the  principles  of  other  Euro- 
pean governments,  which  he  endeavored  to  study.  On  his 
return  from  England  he  told  his  council  that  the  best  thing 
he  saw  there  was  the  opposition  in  Parliament.  He  thought 
it  a  part  of  the  government  machinery,  and  regretted  it  could 
not  be  introduced  in  Eussia. 

Constantine,  the  eldest  brother  of  Alexander  I.,  had  relin- 
quished his  right  to  the  crown,  thus  breaking  the  regular  suc- 
cession. From  the  time  of  Paul  a  revolutionary  party  had 
existed,  and  once  at  least  it  plotted  the  assassination  of  Alex- 
ander. There  was  an  interregnum  of  three  weeks  between 
the  death  of  Alexander  and  the  assumption  of  power  by  his 
second  brother,  Nicholas.  The  change  of  succession  strength- 
ened the  revolutionists,  and  they  employed  the  interregnum 
to  organize  a  conspiracy  for  seizing  the  government. 

The  conspiracy  was  wide  spread,  and  included  many  of  the 
ablest  men  of  the  day.  The  army  was  seriously  implicated. 
The  revolutionists  desired  a  constitutional  government,  and 
their  rallying  cry  of  "  Constitutia  ! "  was  explained  to  the 
soldiers  as  the  name  of  Constantine's  wife.  The  real  design 
of  the  movement  was  not  confided  to  the  rank  and  file,  who 
supposed  they  were  fighting  for  Constantine  and  the  regular 
succession  of  the  throne. 

Nicholas  learned  of  the  conspiracy  the  day  before  his  as- 
cension ;  the  Imperial  guard  of  the  palace  was  in  the  plot, 
and  expected  to  seize  the  emperor's  person.  The  guard  was 
removed  during  the  night  and  a  battalion  from  Finland  sub- 
stituted. It  is  said  that  on  receiving  intelligence  of  the  as- 
sembling of  the  insurgents,  the  emperor  called  his  wife  to 
the  chapel  of  the  palace,  where  he  spent  a  few  moments  in 
prayer.  Then  taking  his  son,  the  present  emperor,  he  led 
him  to  the  soldiers  of  the  new  guard,  confided  him  to  their 
protection,  and  departed  for  St.  Isaac's  Square  to  suppress 
the  revolt.  The  soldiers  kept  the  boy  until  the  emperor's  re- 
turn, and  would  not  even  surrender  him  to  his  tutor. 

The  plot  was  so  wide-spread  that  the  conspirators  had  good 
promise  of  success,  but  whole  regiments  backed  out  at  the 


408 


ACCESSION    OP  NICHOLAS. 


last  moment  and  left  only  a  forlorn  hope  to  begin  the  strug- 
gle. Nicholas  rode  with  his  officers  to  St.  Isaac's  square,  and 
twice  commanded  the  assembled  insurgents  to  surrender. 
They  refused,  and  were  then  saluted  with  "  the  last  argument 
of  kings."  A  storm  of  grape  shot,  followed  by  a  charge  of 
cavalry,  put  in  flight  all  who  were  not  killed,  and  ended  the 
insurrection. 

A  long  and  searching  investigation  followed,  disclosing  all 
the  ramifications  of  the  plot.  The  conspirators  declared  they 
were  led  to  what  they  undertook  by  the  unfortunate  condition 
of  the  country  and  the  hope  of  improving  it.  Nicholas,  con- 
cealed behind  a  screen,  heard  most  of  the  testimony  and  con- 
fessions, and  learned  therefrom  a  wholesome  lesson.  The 
end  of  the  affair  was  the  execution  of  five  principal  conspir- 
ators and  the  banishment  of  many  others  to  Siberia.  The 
five  that  suffered  capital  punishment  were  hanged  in  front  of 
the  Admiralty  buildings  in  St.  Petersburg.  One  rope  was 
broken,  and  the  victim,  falling  to  the  ground,  suffered  such 
agony  that  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  execution  sent  to  the 
emperor  asking  what  to  do.  "  Take  a  new  rope  and  finish 
your  duty,"  was  the  unpitying  answer  of  Nicholas. 

The  accession  of  Nicholas  and  the  attempted  revolt  occur- 
red on  the  14th  December,  (0.  S.)  1825.  Within  six  months 
from  that  date  the  most  of  the  conspirators  reached  Siberia. 
They  were  sent  to  different  districts,  some  to  labor  in  the 
mines  for  specified  periods,  and  others  to  become  colonists. 
They  included  some  of  the  ablest  men  in  Russia,  and  were 
nearly  all  young  and  enterprising.  Many  of  them  were  mar- 
ried, and  were  followed  into  exile  by  their  wives,  though  the 
latter  were  only  permitted  to  go  to  Siberia  on  condition  of 
never  returning.  Each  of  the  exiles  was  deprived  of  all  civil 
or  political  rights,  and  declared  legally  dead.  His  property 
was  confiscated  to  the  crown,  and  his  wife  considered  a  widow 
and  could  marry  again  if  she  chose.  To  the  credit  of  the 
Russian  women,  not  one  availed  herself  of  this  privilege.  I 
was  told  that  nearly  every  married  exile's  family  followed 


THE    DECEMBRISTS    IN  SIBERIA. 


409 


him,  and  some  of  the  unmarried  ones  were  followed  by  their 
sisters  and  mothers. 

I  have  previously  spoken  of  the  effect  of  the  unfortunates 
of  the  14th  December  upon  the  society  and  manners  of  Si- 
beria.   These  men  enjoyed  good  social  positions,  and  their 

political  faults  did 
not  prevent  their  be- 
i  n  g  well  received. 
Their  sentence  to 
labor  in  the  mines 
was  not  rigorously 
enforced,  and  lasted 
but  two  or  three 


HOME  OF  TWO  EXILES. 


years  at  farthest.  They  were  subsequently  employed  at  in- 
door work,  and,  as  time  wore  on  and  passion  subsided,  were 
allowed  to  select  residences  in  villages.  Very  soon  they  were 
permitted  to  go  to  the  larger  towns,  and  once  there,  those 
whose  wives  possessed  property  in  their  own  right  built  them- 
selves elegant  houses  and  took  the  position  to  which  their 
abilities  entitled  them. 

General  Korsackoff  told  me  that  when  he  first  went  to 
serve  in  Siberia  there  was  a  ball  one  evening  at  the  Governor 
General's.  Noticing  one  man  who  danced  the  Mazurka 
splendidly,  he  whispered  to  General  Mouravieff  and  asked 
his  name. 


410 


PARDON    OF    THE  EXILES. 


"  That,"  said  Mouravieff,  u  is  a  revolutionist  of  1825.  He 
is  one  of  the  best  men  of  society  in  Irkutsk." 

After  their  first  few  years  of  exile,  the  Decembrists  had 
little  to  complain  of  except  the  prohibition  to  return  to  Eu- 
rope. To  men  whose  youth  was  passed  in  brilliant  society 
and  amid  the  gayeties  of  the  capital,  this  life  in  Siberia  was 
no  doubt  irksome.  Year  after  year  went  by,  and  on  the 
twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  their  banishment  they  looked  for 
pardon.  Little  else  was  talked  of  among  them  for  some 
weeks,  but  they  were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Nicholas 
had  no  forgiving  disposition,  and  those  who  plotted  his  over- 
throw were  little  likely  to  obtain  favor,  even  though  a  quarter 
of  a  century  had  elapsed  since  their  crime. 

But  the  death  of  Nicholas  and  the  coronation  of  Alexander 
II.  wrought  a  change  for  the  exiles.  Nicholas  began  his  reign 
with  an  act  of  severity ;  Alexander  followed  his  ascension 
with  one  of  clemency.  By  imperial  ukase  he  pardoned  the 
exiles  of  1825,  restored  them  to  their  civil  and  political 
rights,  and  permitted  their  return  to  Europe.  As  the  fathers 
were  legally  dead  when  sent  into  exile,  the  children  born  to 
them  in  Siberia  were  illegitimate  in  the  eye  of  the  law  and 
could  not  even  bear  their  own  family  name.  Properly  they 
belonged  to  the  government,  and  inherited  their  father's  exile 
in  not  being  permitted  to  go  to  Europe.  The  ukase  removed 
all  these  disabilities  and  gave  the  children  full  authority  to 
succeed  to  their  father's  hereditary  titles  and  social  and  po- 
litical rights. 

These  exiles  lived  in  different  parts  of  Siberia,  but  chiefly 
in  the  governments  of  Irkutsk  and  Yeneseisk.  But  the  thirty 
years  of  the  reign  of  Nicholas  were  not  uneventful.  Death 
removed  some  of  the  unfortunates.  Others  had  dwelt  so 
long  in  Siberia  that  they  did  not  wish  to  return  to  a  society 
where  they  would  be  strangers.  Some  who  were  unmarried 
at  the  time  of  their  exile  had  acquired  families  in  Siberia,  and 
thus  fastened  themselves  to  the  country.  Not  more  than 
half  of  those  living  at  the  time  of  Alexander's  coronation 
availed  themselves  of  his  permission  to  return  to  Russia. 


RELATIONS   OF  RUSSIA   AND   POLAND.  411 

The  princes  Trubetskoi  and  Volbonskoi  hesitated  for  some 
time,  but  finally  concluded  to  return.  Both  died  in  Europe 
quite  recently.  Their  departure  was  regretted  by  many  per- 
sons in  Irkutsk,  as  their  absence  was  quite  a  loss  to  society. 
I  heard  some  curious  reminiscences  concerning  the  Prince 
Volbonskoi.  It  was  said  that  his  wife  and  children,  with  the 
servants,  were  the  occupants  of  the  large  and  elegant  house, 
the  prince  living  in  a  small  building  in  the  court  yard.  He 
had  a  farm  near  the  town  and  sold  the  various  crops  to  his 
wife.  Both  the  princes  paid  great  attention  to  educating 
their  children  and  fitting  them  for  ultimate  social  position  in 
Europe. 

While  in  Irkutsk  I  saw  one  of  the  Decembrists  who  had 
grown  quite  wealthy  as  a  wine  merchant.  Another  of  these 
exiles  was  mentioned,  but  I  did  not  meet  him.  Another  re- 
sided at  Selenginsk,  a  third  near  Verkne  Udinsk,  and  a  fourth 
near  Lake  Baikal.  There  are  several  at  other  points,  but  I 
believe  the  whole  number  of  the  Decembrists  now  in  Siberia 
is  less  than  a  dozen.  Forty-two  years  have  brought  them  to 
the  brink  of  the  grave,  and  very  soon  the  active  spirits  of 
that  unhappy  revolt  will  have  passed  away. 

The  other  political  exiles  in  Siberia  are  almost  entirely 
Poles.  Every  insurrection  in  Poland  adds  to  the  population 
of  Asiatic  Russia,  and  accomplishes  very  little  else.  The  re- 
volt of  1831  was  prolific  in  this  particular,  and  so  was  that 
of  1863.  Revolutions  in  Poland  have  been  utterly  hopeless 
of  success  since  the  downfall  and  division  of  the  kingdom, 
but  the  Poles  remain  undaunted. 

I  do  not  propose  entering  into  a  discussion  of  the  Polish 
question,  as  it  would  occupy  too  much  space  and  be  foreign 
to  the  object  of  my  book  ;  but  I  will  briefly  touch  a  few  points. 
The  Russians  and  Poles  were  not  inclined  to  amiability  when 
both  had  separate  governments.  Europe  has  never  been  con- 
verted to  Republican  principles,  and  however  much  the  West- 
ern powers  may  sympathize  with  Poland,  they  would  be  un- 
willing to  adopt  for  themselves  the  policy  they  desire  for 
Russia.    England  holds  India  and  Ireland,  regardless  of  the 


412 


POLISH    EXILES    IN  SIBERIA. 


will  of  Indians  and  Irish.  France  has  her  African  territory 
which  did  not  ask  to  be  taken  under  the  tri-color,  and  we  are 
all  aware  of  the  relations  once  held  by  her  emperor  toward 
Mexico.  It  is  much  easier  to  look  for  generosity  and  for- 
bearance in  others  than  in  ourselves. 

Those  who  are  disposed  to  shed  tears  over  the  fate  of  Po- 
land, should  remember  that  the  unhappy  country  has  only 
suffered  the  fortune  of  war.  When  Russia  and  Poland  be- 
gan to  measure  swords  the  latter  was  the  more  powerful,  and 
for  a  time  overran  a  goodly  portion  of  the  Muscovite  soil. 
We  all  know  there  has  been  a  partition  of  Poland,  but  are 
we  equally  aware  that  the  Russia  of  Rurik  and  Ivan  IY.  was 
partitioned  in  1612  by  the  Swedes  (at  Novgorod)  and  the 
Poles  (at  Moscow  ?)  In  1612  the  Poles  held  Moscow.  The 
Russians  rose  against  them  in  that  year,  just  as  the  Poles 
have  since  risen  against  the  Russians,  but  with  a  different 
result. 

The  Polish  exiles  of  1881  and  previous  years  were  pardon- 
ed by  the  same  ukase  that  liberated  the  Russian  exiles  of 
1825.  Just  before  the  insurrection  of  1863  there  were  not 
many  Poles  in  Siberia,  except  those  who  remained  of  their 
own  free  will.  The  last  insurrection  caused  a  fresh  deporta- 
tion, twenty-four  thousand  being  banished  beyond  the  Ural 
Mountains.  Ten  thousand  of  these  were  sent  to  Eastern 
Siberia,  the  balance  being  distributed  in  the  governments 
west  of  the  Yenesei.  The  decree  of  June,  1867,  allowed 
many  of  these  prisoners  to  return  to  Poland. 

The  government  has  always  endeavored  to  scatter  the  ex- 
iles and  prevent  their  congregating  in  such  numbers  as  to 
cause  inconvenience.  The  prime  object  of  deportation  to 
Siberia  is  to  people  the  country  and  develop  its  natural  wealth. 
Though  Russia  occupies  nearly  an  eighth  of  the  land  on  the 
face  of  the  globe,  her  population  numbers  but  about  seventy 
millions.  It  is  her  policy  to  people  her  territory,  and  she 
bends  her  energies  to  this  end.  She  does  not  allow  the  emi- 
gration of  her  subjects  to  any  appreciable  extent,  and  she 
punishes  but  few  crimes  with  death.    Notwithstanding  her 


THE    SENTENCES    OF  EXILES. 


413 


general  tolerance  on  religious  matters,  she  punishes  with 
severity  a  certain  sect  that  discourages  propagation.  There 
are  other  facts  I  might  mention  as  illustrations  were  it  not 
for  the  fastidiousness  of  the  present  age.  Siberia  is  much 
more  in  need  of  population  than  European  Russia,  and  exiles 
are  sent  thither  to  become  inhabitants. 

So  far  as  the  matter  of  sentence  goes  there  is  little  differ- 
ence between  political  and  criminal  exiles.  The  sentence  is 
in  accordance  with  the  offence  to  be  punished,  and  may  be 
light  or  severe.  Some  exiles  are  simply  banished  to  Siberia, 
and  can  do  almost  anything  except  go  away.  They  may 
travel  as  they  choose,  engage  in  business,  and  even  hold  offic- 
ial position.  It  is  no  bar  to  their  progress  that  they  emi- 
grated involuntarily.  If  they  forget  their  evil  ways  and  are 
good  citizens,  others  will  be  equally  oblivious  and  encourage 
them.  They  have  special  inducements  to  become  colonists 
and  till  the  soil  or  develop  its  mineral  wealth.  With  honesty 
and  industry  they  have  at  least  a  fair  chance  in  life. 

Some  exiles  are  confined  to  certain  districts,  governments, 
towns,  or  villages,  and  must  report  at  stated  intervals  to  the 
Chief  of  Police.  These  intervals  are  not  the  same  in  all 
cases,  but  vary  from  one  day  to  a  month,  or  even  more. 
Some  are  not  allowed  to  go  beyond  specified  limits  without 
express  permission  from  the  authorities,  while  others  may 
absent  themselves  as  they  choose  during  the  intervals  of  re- 
porting to  the  police.  Some  can  engage  in  whatever  business 
they  find  advantageous,  while  others  are  prohibited  certain 
employments  but  not  restricted  as  to  others. 

If  a  man  is  sentenced  to  become  a  colonist,  the  govern- 
ment gives  him  a  house  or  means  to  build  it,  a  plot  of  ground, 
and  the  necessary  tools.  He  is  not  allowed  to  be  anything 
else  than  a  colonist.  Criminals  of  a  certain  grade  cannot 
engage  in  commerce,  and  the  same  restriction  applies  to 
'  politiques.'  No  criminal  can  be  a  teacher,  either  in  a  public 
or  private  school,  and  no  politique  can  teach  in  a  public 
school.    While  I  was  in  Siberia  an  order  was  issued  prohib- 


414     RESTRICTIONS    AND    SOCIAL  COMFORTS. 

iting  the  latter  class  engaging  in  any  kind  of  educational 
work  except  music,  drawing,  and  painting. 

Many  criminal  and  political  offenders  are  '  drafted  in  the 
army '  in  much  the  same  manner  that  our  prisons  sent  their 
able-bodied  men  into  military  service  during  our  late  war. 
Their  terms  of  enlistment  are  various,  but  generally  not  less 
than  fifteen  years.  The  men  receive  the  pay  and  rations  of 
soldiers,  and  have  the  possibility  of  promotion  before  them. 
They  are  sent  to  regiments  stationed  at  distant  posts  in  order 
to  diminish  the  chances  of  desertion.  The  Siberian  and 
Caucasian  regiments  receive  the  greater  portion  of  these  re- 
cruits. Many  members  of  the  peculiar  religious  sect  men- 
tioned elsewhere  are  sent  to  the  Caucasian  frontier.  They 
are  said  to  be  very  tractable  and  obedient,  but  not  reliable  for 
aggressive  military  operations. 

An  exile  may  receive  from  his  friends  money  to  an  amount 
not  exceeding  twenty-five  roubles  a  month.  If  his  wife  has 
property  of  her  own  she  may  enjoy  a  separate  income.  Those 
confined  in  prisons  or  kept  at  labor  may  receive  money  to  the 
same  extent,  but  it  must  pass  through  the  hands  of  the  offi- 
cials. Of  course  the  occupants  of  prisons  are  fed  by  govern- 
ment, and  so  are  those  under  sentence  of  hard  labor.  The 
men  restricted  to  villages  and  debarred  from  profitable  em- 
ployment receive  monthly  allowances  in  money  and  flour, 
barely  enough  for  their  subsistence.  There  are  complaints 
that  dishonest  officials  steal  a  part  of  these  allowances,  but 
the  practice  is  not  as  frequent  as  formerly.  A  prisoner's 
comfort  in  any  part  of  the  world  depends  in  a  great  measure 
upon  the  character  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  him.  Siberia 
offers  no  exception  to  this  rule. 

Formerly  the  Polish  exiles  enjoyed  more  social  freedom 
than  at  present.  The  course  of  the  change  was  thus  ex- 
plained to  me : 

Five  or  six  years  ago  a  Polish  noble  who  had  been  exiled 
lived  at  Irkutsk  and  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  several  officers. 
The  Amoor  had  been  recently  opened,  and  this  man  asked 
and  obtained  the  privilege  of  visiting  it,  giving  his  parole  not 


HOW    THE    PRISONERS  TRAVEL. 


415 


to  leave  Siberia.  At  Nicolayevsk  he  embraced  the  oppor- 
tunity to  escape,  and  advised  others  to  do  the  same.  This 
breach  of  confidence  led  to  greater  circumspection,  and  the 
distrust  was  increased  by  the  conduct  of  other  exiles.  Since 
that  time  the  Poles  have  been  under  greater  restraint. 

Many  books  on  Russia  contain  interesting  stories  of  the 
brutality  toward  exiles,  both  on  the  road  and  after  they  have 
reached  their  destination.  Undoubtedly  there  have  been  in- 
stances of  cruelty,  just  as  in  every  country  in  Christendom, 
but  I  do  not  believe  the  Russians  are  worse  in  this  respect 
than  other  people.  I  saw  a  great  many  exiles  during  my 
journey  through  Siberia.  Frequently  when  on  the  winter 
road  I  met  convoys  of  them,  and  never  observed  any  evidence 
of  needless  severity.  Five-sixths  of  the  exiles  I  met  on  the 
road  were  in  sleighs  like  those  used  by  Russian  merchants 
when  traveling.  There  were  generally  three  persons  in  a 
sleigh,  and  I  thought  them  comfortably  clad.  I  could  see  no 
difference  between  them  and  their  guards,  except  that  the 
latter  carried  muskets  and  sabres.  Any  women  among  them 
received  special  attention,  particularly  when  they  were  young 
and  pretty.  I  saw  two  old  ladies  who  were  handled  tenderly 
by  the  soldiers  and  treated  with  apparent  distinction.  When 
exiles  were  on  foot,  their  guards  marched  with  them  and  the 
women  of  the  party  rode  in  sleighs. 

The  object  of  deportation  is  to  people  Siberia ;  if  the  gov- 
ernment permitted  cruelties  that  caused  half  of  the  exiles  to 
die  on  the  road,  as  some  accounts  aver,  it  would  be  inconsist- 
ent with  its  policy.  As  before  mentioned,  the  ripe  age  to 
which  most  of  the  Decembrists  lived,  is  a  proof  that  they 
were  not  subjected  to  physical  torture.  In  the  eyes  of  the 
government  these  men  were  the  very  worst  offenders,  and  if 
they  did  not  suffer  hardships  and  cruelties  it  is  not  probable 
that  all  others  would  be  generally  ill-used.  I  do  not  for  a 
moment  suppose  exile  is  either  attractive  or  desirable,  but, 
so  far  as  I  know,  it  does  not  possess  the  horrors  attributed  to 
it.  The  worst  part  of  exile  is  to  be  sent  to  hard  labor,  but 
the  unpleasant  features  of  such  punishment  are  not  confined 


416 


EMPLOYMENTS    FOR  EXILES. 


to  Siberia.  Plenty  of  testimony  on  this  point  can  be  obtain- 
ed at  Sing  Sing  and  Pentonville. 

It  is  unpleasant  to  leave  one's  home  and  become  an  invol- 
untary emigrant  to  a  far  country.  The  Siberian  road  is  one 
I  would  never  travel  out  of  pure  pleasure,  and  I  can  well  un- 
derstand that  it  must  be  many  times  disagreeable  when  one 
journeys  unwillingly.  But,  once  in  Siberia,  the  worldly  cir- 
cumstances of  many  exiles  are  better  than  they  were  at  home. 
If  a  man  can  forget  that  he  is  deprived  of  liberty,  and  I  pre- 
sume this  is  the  most  difficult  thing  of  all,  he  is  not,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  very  badly  off  in  Siberia.  Certainly 
i  many  exiles  choose  to  remain  when  their  term  of  banishment 
is  ended.  A  laboring  man  is  better  paid  for  his  services  and 
is  more  certain  of  employment  than  in  European  Russia. 
He  leads  a  more  independent  life  and  has  better  prospects  of 
advancement  than  in  the  older  civilization.  Many  Poles  say 
they  were  drawn  unwillingly  into  the  acts  that  led  to  their 
exile,  and  if  they  return  home  they  may  be  involved  in  like 
trouble  again.  In  Poland  they  are  at  the  partial  mercy  of 
malcontents  who  have  nothing  to  lose  and  can  never  remain 
at  ease.    In  Siberia  there  are  no  such  disturbing  influences. 

About  ten  thousand  exiles  are  sent  to  Siberia  every  year. 
Except  in  times  of  political  disturbance  in  Poland  or  else- 
where, nearly  all  the  exiles  are  offenders  against  society  or 
property.  The  notion  that  they  are  generally  4  politiques,'  is 
very  far  from  correct.  As  well  might  one  suppose  the  major- 
ity of  the  convicts  at  Sing  Sing  were  from  the  upper  classes 
of  New  York.  The  regular  stream  of  exiles  is  composed  al- 
most entirely  of  criminal  offenders ;  occasional  floods  of 
revolutionists  follow  the  attempts  at  independence. 

I  made  frequent  inquiries  concerning  the  condition  of  the 
exiles,  and  so  far  as  I  could  learn  they  were  generally  well 
off.  I  say  4  generally,'  because  I  heard  of  some  cases  of  pov- 
erty and  hardship,  and  doubtless  there  were  others  that  I 
never  heard  of.  A  large  part  of  the  Siberian  population  is 
made  up  of  exiles  and  their  descendants.  A  gentleman  fre- 
quently sent  me  his  carriage  during  my  stay  at  Irkutsk.  It 


EXILING    THE  SERFS. 


417 


was  managed  by  an  intelligent  driver  who  pleased  me  with 
his  skill  and  dash.  One  evening,  when  he  was  a  little  in- 
toxicated, my  friend  and  myself  commented  in' French  on 
his  condition,  and  were  a  little  surprised  to  find  that  he  un- 
derstood us.  He  was  an  exile  from  St.  Petersburg,  where  he 
had  been  coachman  to  a  French  merchant. 

The  clerk  of  the  hotel  was  an  exile,  and  so  was  one  of  the 
waiters.  Isvoshchiks,  or  hackmen,  counted  many  exiles  in 
their  ranks,  and  so  did  laborers  of  other  professions.  Occa- 
sionally clerks  in  stores,  market  men,  boot  makers,  and  tail- 
ors ascribed  their  exile  to  some  discrepancy  between  their 
conduct  and  the  laws.  I  met  a  Polish  gentleman  in  charge 
of  the  museum  of  the  geographical  society  of  Eastern  Siberia, 
and  was  told  that  the  establishment  rapidly  improved  in  his 
hands.  Two  physicians  of  Irkutsk  were  *  unfortunates'  from 
Warsaw,  and  one  of  them  had  distanced  all  competitors  in 
the  extent  and  success  of  his  practice.  Then  there  were 
makers  of  cigarettes,  dealers  in  various  commodities,  and 
professors  of  divers  arts.  Some  of  the  educated  Siberians  I 
met  told  me  they  had  been  taught  almost  entirely  by  exiles. 

Before  the  abolition  of  serfdom  a  proprietor  could  send  his 
human  property  into  exile.  He  was  not  required  to  give  any 
reason,  the  record  accompanying  the  order  of  banishment 
stating  only  that  the  serf  was  exiled  "  by  the  will  of  his  mas- 
ter." This  privilege  was  open  to  enormous  abuse,  but  happi- 
ly the  ukase  of  liberty  has  removed  it.  The  design  of  the 
system  was  no  doubt  to  enable  proprietors  to  rid  themselves 
of  serfs  who  were  idle,  dissolute,  or  quarrelsome,  but  had  not 
committed  any  act  the  law  could  touch. 

A  proprietor  exiling  a  serf  was  required  to  pay  his  travel- 
ing expenses  of  twenty-five  roubles,  and  to  furnish  him  an 
outfit  of  summer  and  winter  clothing.  A  wife  was  allowed 
to  follow  her  husband,  with  all  their  children  not  matured, 
and  all  their  expenses  were  to  be  paid.  The  abuse  of  the 
system  consisted  in  the  power  to  banish  a  man  who  had  com- 
mitted no  offence  at  all.  The  loss  of  services  and  the  ex- 
pense of  exiling  a  serf  may  have  been  a  slight  guarantee 
27 


418 


RULES    GOVERNING  SERFS. 


against  this,  but  if  the  proprietor  were  an  unprincipled  tyrant 
or  a  sensualist,  (and  he  might  be  both,)  there  was  no  protec- 
tion for  his  subjects.  It  has  happened  that  the  best  man  on 
an  estate  incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  owner  and  went  to 
Siberia  in  consequence.  Exile  is  a  severe  punishment  to  the 
Russian  peasant,  who  clings  with  enduring  tenacity  to  the 
place  where  his  youthful  days  were  passed. 

Every  serf  exiled  for  a  minor  offense  or  at  the  will  of  his 
master  was  appointed  on  his  arrival  in  Siberia  to  live  in  a 
specified  district.  If  he  could  produce  a  certificate  of  good 
behavior  at  the  end  of  three  years,  he  was  authorized  to  clear 
and  cultivate  as  much  land  as  he  wished.  If  single  he  could 
marry,  but  he  was  not  compelled  to  do  so.  He  was  exempt 
from  taxes  for  twelve  years,  and  after  that  only  paid  a  trifle. 
He  had  no  master  and  could  act  for  himself  in  all  things  ex- 
cept in  returning  to  Russia.  He  was  under  the  disadvantage 
of  having  no  legal  existence,  and  though  the  land  he  worked 
was  his  own  and  no  one  could  disturb  him,  he  did  not  hold  it 
under  written  title.  The  criminal  who  served  at  labor  in  the 
mines  was  placed,  at  the  expiration  of  his  sentence,  in  the 
same  category  as  the  exile  for  minor  offences.  Both  cultivat- 
ed land  in  like  manner  and  on  equal  terms.  Some  became 
wealthy  and  were  able  to  secure  the  privileges  of  citizenship. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


THE  descendants  of  exiles  are  in  much  greater  number 
than  the  exiles  themselves.  Eastern  Siberia  is  mainly 
peopled  by  them,  and  Western  Siberia  very  largely  so.  They 
are  all  free  peasants  and  enjoy  a  condition  far  superior  to 
that  of  the  serf  under  the  system  prevalent  before  1859. 
Many  of  them  have  become  wealthy  through  gold  mining, 
commerce,  and  agriculture,  and  occupy  positions  they  never 
could  have  obtained  had  they  lived  in  European  Russia.  I 
know  a  merchant  whose  fortune  is  counted  by  millions,  and 
who  is  famous  through  Siberia  for  his  enterprise  and  gener- 
osity. He  is  the  son  of  an  exiled  serf  and  has  risen  by  his 
own  ability.  Since  I  left  Siberia  I  learn  with  pleasure  that 
the  emperor  has  honored  him  with  a  decoration.  Many  of 
the  prominent  merchants  and  proprietary  miners  were  men- 
tioned to  me  as  examples  of  the  prosperity  of  the  second  and 
third  generation  from  banished  men.  I  was  told  particularly 
of  a  wealthy  gold  miner  whose  evening  of  life  is  cheered  by 
an  ample  fortune  and  two  well  educated  children.  Forty 
years  ago  his  master  capriciously  sent  him  to  Siberia.  The 
man  found  his  banishment  4  the  best  thing  that  could  happen.' 

The  system  of  serfdom  never  had  any  practical  hold  in 
Siberia.  There  was  but  one  Siberian  proprietor  of  serfs  in 
existence  at  the  time  of  the  emancipation.  This  was  Mr. 
RodinkofF  of  Krasnoyarsk,  whose  grandfather  received  a 
grant  of  serfs  and  a  patent  of  nobility  from  the  empress 
Catherine.  None  of  the  family,  with  a  single  exception,  ever 
attempted  more  than  nominal  exercise  of  authority  over  the 
peasants,  and  this  one  paid  for  his  imprudence  with  his  life. 

(419) 


420  PETER    I.    AND    ALEXANDER  II. 

He  attempted  to  put  in  force  his  full  proprietary  rights,  and 
the  result  was  his  death  by  violence  during  a  visit  to  one  of 
his  estates. 

The  difference  between  the  conditions  of  the  Russian  and 
Siberian  peasantry  was  that  between  slavery  and  freedom. 
The  owner  of  serfs  had  rarely  any  common  interest  with  his 
people,  and  his  chief  business  was  to  make  the  most  out  of 
his  human  property.  Serfdom  was  degrading  to  master  and 
serf,  just  as  slavery  degraded  owner  and  slave.  The  moujik 
bore  the  stamp  of  servility  as  the  negro  slave  bore  it,  and  it 
will  take  as  much  time  to  wear  it  away  in  the  one  as  the 
other.  Centuries  of  oppression  in  Russia  could  not  fail  to 
open  a  wide  gulf  between  the  nobility  and  those  who  obeyed 
them.  Thanks  to  Alexander  the  work  of  filling  this  gulf 
has  begun,  but  it  will  require  many  years  and  much  toil  to 
complete  it. 

The  comparative  freedom  enjoyed  in  Siberia  was  not  with- 
out visible  result.  The  peasants  were  more  prosperous  than 
in  Russia,  they  lived  in  better  houses  and  enjoyed  more  real 
comforts  of  life.  The  absence  of  masters  and  the  liberty  to 
act  for  themselves  begat  an  air  of  independence  in  the  peas- 
ant class  that  contrasted  agreeably  with  the  cringing  servility 
of  the  serf.  Wealth  was  open  to  all  who  sought  it,  and  the 
barriers  between  the  different  ranks  of  society  were  partially 
broken  down.  The  peasants  that  acquired  wealth  began  to 
cultivate  refined  tastes.  They  paid  more  attention  to  the 
education  of  their  children  than  was  shown  by  the  same  class 
in  Russia,  and  the  desire  for  education  rapidly  increased. 
The  emancipation  of  the  serfs  in  Russia  was  probably  brought 
about  by  the  marked  superiority  of  the  Siberian  population 
in  prosperity  and  intelligence. 

In  coming  ages  the  Russians  will  revere  the  name  of  Alex- 
ander not  less  than  that  of  Peter  the  Great.  To  the  latter 
is  justly  due  the  credit  of  raising  the  nation  from  barbarism; 
the  former  has  the  immortal  honor  of  removing  the  stain  of 
serfdom.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  were  great  and  the  em- 
peror had  few  supporters,  but  he  steadily  pursued  his  object 


A    REVOLT    OF  PRISONERS. 


421 


and  at  length  earned  the  eternal  gratitude  of  his  people. 
Russia  is  yet  in  her  developing  stage.  The  shock  of  the 
change  was  severe  and  not  unattended  with  danger,  but  the 
critical  period  is  passed,  and  the  nation  has  commenced  a 
career  of  freedom.  The  serf  has  been  awakened  to  a  new 
life,  and  his  education  is  just  commencing.  Already  there 
is  increased  prosperity  in  some  parts  of  the  empire,  showing 
that  the  free  man  understands  his  new  condition.  The  pro- 
prietors who  were  able  to  appreciate  and  prepare  for  the 
change  have  been  positively  benefited,  while  others  who  con- 
tinued obstinate  were  ruined.  On  the  whole  the  derange- 
ment by  the  transition  has  been  less  than  many  friends  of  the 
measure  expected,  and  by  no  means  equal  to  that  prophesied 
by  its  opponents.  But  the  grandest  results  in  the  nation's 
progress  are  yet  to  come,  and  it  is  from  future  generations 
that  Alexander  will  receive  his  warmest  praise. 

The  working  of  mines  on  government  account  has  greatly 
diminished  in  the  past  few  years,  and  the  number  of  hard 
labor  convicts  in  Siberia  more  than  equals  the  capacity  of 
the  mines.  When  the  political  exiles,  after  the  revolution  of 
1863,  arrived  at  Irkutsk,  the  mines  were  already  filled  with 
convicts.  The  '  politiques '  sentenced  to  hard  labor  were  em- 
ployed in  building  roads,  most  of  them  being  sent  to  the 
southern  end  of  Lake  Baikal.  In  June,  1866,  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  prisoners  were  sent  to  this  labor,  and  divided  into 
eight  or  ten  parties  to  work  on  as  many  sections  of  the  road. 
Before  the  end  of  the  month  a  revolt  occurred.  Various  ac- 
counts have  been  given  and  different  motives  assigned  for  it. 
I  was  told  by  several  Poles  that  the  prisoners  were  half  starv- 
ed, and  the  little  food  they  received  was  bad.  Hunger  and  a 
desire  to  escape  were  the  motives  to  the  insurrection.  On 
the  other  hand  the  Russians  told  me  the  prisoners  were  pro- 
perly fed,  and  the  revolt  must  be  attributed  entirely  to  the 
hope  of  escaping  from  Siberia. 

I  obtained  from  an  officer,  who  sat  on  the  court-martial 
which  investigated  the  affair,  the  following  particulars : 

On  the  24th  of  June,  (0.  S.,)  the  working  party  at  Koul- 


422 


PARTICULARS    OF    THE  OUTBREAK. 


toukskoi,  the  western  end  of  the  road,  disarmed  its  guard  by 
a  sudden  and  bloodless  attack.  The  insurgents  then  moved 
eastward  along  the  line  of  the  road,  and  on  their  way  over- 
powered successively  the  guards  of  the  other  parties.  Many 
of  the  prisoners  refused  to  take  part  in  the  affair  and  remain- 
ed at  their  work.  A  Polish  officer  named  Sharamovitch  as- 
sumed command  of  the  insurgents,  who  directed  their  march 
toward  Posolsky. 


TARTAR  CAVALRY. 


As  soon  as  news  of  the  affair  reached  Irkutsk,  the  Gov- 
ernor General  ordered  a  battalion  of  soldiers  by  steamer  to 
Posolsky.  On  the  28th  of  June  a  fight  occurred  at  the  river 
Bcstriya.   The  insurgents  were  defeated  with  a  loss  of  twenty- 


THE    FINDING    AND    SENTENCE.  423 


five  or  thirty  men,  while  the  force  sent  against  them  lost  five 
men  and  one  officer.  The  Polish  leader  was  among  the  killed. 
After  the  defeat  the  insurgents  separated  in  small  bands  and 
fled  into  the  mountains.  They  were  pursued  by  Tartar  cav- 
alry, who  scoured  the  country  thoroughly  and  retook  all  the 
fugitives.  The  insurrection  caused  much  alarm  at  its  out- 
break, as  it  was  supposed  all  prisoners  in  Siberia  were  in  the 
conspiracy.  Exaggerated  reports  were  spread,  and  all  possi- 
ble precautions  taken,  but  they  proved  unnecessary.  The 
conspiracy  extended  no  farther  than  the  working  parties  on 
the  Baikal  road. 

The  prisoners  were  brought  to  Irkutsk,  where  a  court-mar- 
tial investigated  the  affair.  A  Russian  court-martial  does 
not  differ  materially  from  any  other  in  the  manner  of  its  pro- 
ceedings. It  requires  positive  evidence  for  or  against  a  per- 
son accused,  and,  like  other  courts,  gives  him  the  benefit  of 
doubts.  My  informant  told  me  that  the  court  in  this  case 
listened  to  all  evidence  that  had  any  possible  bearing  on  the 
question.  The  sitting  continued  several  weeks,  and  after 
much  deliberation  the  court  rendered  a  finding  and  sentence. 

In  the  finding  the  prisoners  were  divided  into  five  grades, 
and  their  sentences  accorded  with  the  letter  of  the  law.  The 
first  grade  comprised  seven  persons,  known  to  have  been 
leaders  in  the  revolt.  These  were  sentenced  to  be  shot.  In 
the  second  grade  there  were  a  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  who 
knew  the  design  to  revolt  and  joined  in  the  insurrection. 
One-tenth  of  these  were  to  suffer  death,  the  choice  being 
made  by  lot ;  the  remainder  were  sentenced  to  twenty  years 
labor.  The  third  grade  comprised  a  hundred  and  twenty-two, 
ignorant  of  the  conspiracy  before  the  revolt,  but  who  joined 
the  insurgents.  These  received  an  addition  of  two  or  three 
years  to  their  original  sentences  to  labor.  The  fourth  grade 
included  ninety-four  men,  who  knew  the  design  to  revolt  but 
refused  to  join  the  insurgents.  These  were  sentenced  "  to 
remain  under  suspicion."  In  the  fifth  and  last  grade  there 
were  two  hundred  and  sixty,  who  were  ignorant  of  the  con- 
spiracy and  remained  at  their  posts.    Their  innocence  was 


424  EXECUTION    OF    FOUR  INSURGENTS. 

fully  established,  and,  of  course,  relieved  them  from  all 
charge. 

It  was  found  that  the  design  of  the  insurgents  was  to  es- 
cape into  Mongolia  and  make  their  way  to  Pekin.  This 
would  have  been  next  to  impossible,  for  two  reasons :  the 
character  of  the  country,  and  the  treaty  between  China  and 
Russia.  The  region  to  be  traversed  from  the  Siberian  fron- 
tier toward  Pekin  is  the  Mongolian  steppe  or  desert.  The 
only  food  obtainable  on  the  steppe  is  mutton  from  the  flocks 
of  the  nomad  inhabitants.  These  are  principally  along  the 
road  from  Kiachta,  and  even  there  are  by  no  means  numer- 
ous. The  escaping  exiles  in  avoiding  the  road  to  ensure 
safety  would  have  run  great  risk  of  starvation.  The  treaty 
between  China  and  Russia  requires  that  fugitives  from  one 
empire  to  the  other  shall  be  given  up.  Had  the  exiles  suc- 
ceeded in  crossing  Mongolia  and  reaching  the  populous  parts 
of  China,  they  would  have  been  once  more  in  captivity  and 
returned  to  Russian  hands. 

The  finding  of  the  court-martial  was  submitted  to  General 
Korsackoff  for  approval  or  revision.  The  general  commuted 
the  sentence  of  three  men  in  the  first  grade  to  twenty  years 
labor.  Those  in  the  second  grade  sentenced  to  death  were 
relieved  from  this  punishment  and  placed  on  the  same  foot- 
ing as  their  companions.  In  the  third  grade  the  original 
sentence  (at  the  time  of  banishment)  was  increased  by  one 
or  two  years  labor.    Other  penalties  were  not  changed. 

During  my  stay  in  Irkutsk  the  four  prisoners  condemned 
to  death  suffered  the  extreme  penalty,  the  execution  occur- 
ring in  the  forest  near  the  town.  A  firing  party  of  forty- 
eight  men  was  divided  into  four  squads.  According  to  the 
custom  at  all  military  executions  one  musket  in  each  squad 
was  charged  with  a  blank  cartridge.  The  four  prisoners 
were  shot  simultaneously,  and  all  died  instantly.  Two  of 
them  were  much  dejected  ;  the  others  met  their  deaths  firmly 
and  shouted  "  Vive  la  Pologne"  as  they  heard  the  order  to 
fire. 

I  was  told  that  the  crowd  of  people,  though  large,  was  very 


A    REMARKABLE  ESCAPE. 


425 


quiet,  and  moved  away  in  silence  when  the  execution  was 
over.  Very  few  officers  and  soldiers  were  present  beyond 
those  whose  duty  required  them  to  witness  or  take  part  in 
the  affair. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  escapes  from  Siberia  was  that 
of  Rufin  Piotrowski,  a  Polish  emigrant  who  left  Paris  in 
1844  to  return  to  his  native  country,  with  impossible  plans 
and  crude  ideas  for  her  relief.  The  end  of  his  journey  was 
Kaminietz,  in  Podolia,  where  he  gave  himself  out  as  a  French- 
man who  had  come  to  give  private  lessons  in  foreign  lan- 
guages, and  received  the.  usual  permit  from  the  authorities 
without  exciting  any  suspicion.  He  was  soon  introduced 
into  the  best  society  ;  and  the  better  to  shield  his  connections, 
he  chose  the  houses  of  Russian  employees.  His  security 
rested  upon  his  not  being  supposed  to  understand  the  Polish 
language ;  and,  during  the  nine  months  that  he  remained,  he 
obtained  such  command  over  himself,  that  the  police  had  not 
the  slightest  suspicion  of  his  being  a  Pole.  The  warning 
voice  came  from  St.  Petersburg,  through  the  spies  in  Paris. 

Early  one  winter's  morning  he  was  roughly  shaken  out  of 
slumber  by  the  director  of  police,  and  carried  before  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  province,  who  had  come  specially  on  this  errand. 
His  position  was  represented  to  him  as  one  of  the  greatest 
danger,  and  he  was  recommended  to  make  a  full  confession. 
This  for  many  days  he  refused  to  do,  until  a  large  number 
of  those  who  were  his  accomplices  were  brought  before  him ; 
and  their  weary,  anxious  faces  induced  him  to  exclaim  loudly, 
and  in  his  native  tongue — "  Yes,  I  am  a  Pole,  and  have  re- 
turned because  I  could  not  bear  exile  from  my  native  land 
any  longer.  Here  I  wished  to  live  inoffensive  and  quiet,  con- 
fiding my  secret  to  a  few  countrymen ;  and  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say."  An  immediate  order  was  made  out  for  the 
culprit's  departure  to  Kiev.  According  to  the  story  he  has 
published  his  sufferings  were  frightful,  and  were  not  lessened 
when  they  stopped  at  a  hut,  where  some  rusty  chains  were 
brought  out,  the  rings  of  which  were  thrust  over  his  ankles : 
they  proved  much  too  small,  and  the  rust  prevented  the  bars 


426 


A    TERRIBLE  JOURNEY. 


from  turning  in  the  sockets,  so  that  the  pain  was  insupport- 
able. He  was  rudely  carried  and  thrown  into  the  carriage, 
and  thus  arrived  in  an  almost  insensible  condition  at  the  fort- 
ress of  Kiev. 

After  many  months'  detention  in  this  prison,  being  closely 
watched  and  badly  treated,  he  was  sentenced  to  hard  labor 
in  Siberia  for  life,  degraded  from  his  rank  as  a  noble,  and 
ordered  to  make  the  journey  in  chains.  As  soon  as  this  was 
read  to  him,  he  was  taken  to  a  kibitka,  with  three  horses, 
irons  were  put  on,  and  he  was  placed  between  two  armed 
soldiers ;  the  gates  of  the  fortress  were  shut,  and  the  road  to 
Siberia  was  before  him.  An  employee  came  up  to  M.  Pio- 
trowski,  and  timidly  offered  him  a  small  packet,  saying — 
u  Accept  this  from  my  saint."  The  convict  not  understand- 
ing, he  added,  "  You  are  a  Pole,  and  do  not  know  our  cus- 
toms. It  is  my  fete-day,  when  it  is  above  all  a  duty  to  assist 
the  unfortunate.  Pray,  accept  it,  then,  in  the  name  of  my 
saint,  after  whom  I  am  called."  The  packet  contained  bread, 
salt,  and  money. 

Night  and  day  the  journey  continued,  with  the  utmost  ra- 
pidity, for  about  a  month,  when,  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
they  stopped  at  the  fortress  of  Omsk,  where  he  was  placed 
for  a  few  hours  with  a  young  officer  who  had  committed  some 
breach  of  discipline.  They  talked  on  incessantly  until  the 
morning,  so  great  was  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  an  edu- 
cated person.  A  map  of  Siberia  was  in  the  room,  which 
Piotrowski  examined  with  feverish  interest.  "Ah!"  said 
his  companion,  "  are  you  meditating  flight?  Pray,  do  not 
think  of  it :  many  of  your  fellow-countrymen  have  tried  it, 
and  never  succeeded." 

At  midday  he  was  brought  before  Prince  Gortchakoff,  and 
the  critical  moment  of  his  fate  arrived :  he  might  either  be 
sent  to  some  of  the  government  factories  in  the  neighborhood, 
or  to  the  mines  underground.  An  hour  passed  in  cruel  sus- 
pense while  this  was  debated.  At  length  one  of  the  council 
announced  to  him  that  he  was  to  be  sent  to  the  distillery  of 
Ekaterinski,  three  hundred  miles  to  the  north  of  Omsk. 


WORKING    AMONG  CONVICTS. 


427 


The  clerks  around  congratulated  him  on  his  destination,  and 
his  departure  was  immediate. 

On  a  wintry  morning  he  reached  a  vast  plain  near  the  river 
Irtish,  on  which  a  village  of  about  two  hundred  wooden  huts 
was  built  around  a  factory.  When  introduced  into  the  clerks' 
office,  a  young  man  who  was  writing  jumped  up  and  threw 
himself  into  his  arms :  he  also  was  a  Pole  from  Cracow,  a 
well-known  poet,  and  sent  away  for  life  as  "  a  measure  of  pre- 
caution." Soon  they  were  joined  by  another  political  crim- 
inal :  these  spoke  rapidly  and  with  extreme  emotion,  entreat- 
ing their  new  friend  to  bear  everything  in  the  most  submis- 
sive and  patient  manner,  as  the  only  means  of  escaping  from 
menial  employment,  and  being  promoted  to  the  clerks'  office. 
Not  long  was  he  permitted  to  rest.  A  convict  came  and  or- 
dered him  to  take  a  broom  and  sweep  away  a  mass  of  dirt 
that  some  masons  had  left ;  a  murderer  was  his  companion  ; 
and  thus  he  went  on  until  nightfall,  when  his  two  friends 
were  permitted  to  visit  him,  in  the  presence  of  the  soldiers 
and  convicts,  most  of  the  latter  of  whom  had  been  guilty  of 
frightful  crimes. 

Thus  day  after  day  passed  on,  in  sweeping,  carrying  wood  . 
and  water,  amid  snow  and  frost.  His  good  conduct  brought 
him,  in  a  year  and  a  half,  to  the  office,  where  he  received  ten 
francs  a  month  and  his  rations,  and  the  work  was  light. 
During  this  time  he  saw  and  conversed  with  many  farmers 
and  travelers  from  a  distance,  and  gained  every  information 
about  the  roads,  rivers,  etc.,  with  a  view  to  the  escape  he  was 
ever  meditating.  Some  of  the  natives  unite  with  the  soldiers 
in  exercising  an  incessant  supervision  over  the  convicts,  and 
a  common  saying  among  the  Tartars  is :  "  In  killing  a  squir- 
rel you  get  but  one  skin,  whilst  a  convict  has  three — his  coat, 
his  shirt,  and  his  skin." 

Slowly  and  painfully  he  collected  the  materials  for  his  jour- 
ney. First  of  all,  a  passport  was  an  essential.  A  convict 
who  had  been  sentenced  for  making  false  money,  still  pos- 
sessed an  excellent  stamp  of  the  royal  arms  ;  this  Piotrowski 
bought  for  a  few  francs.    The  sheet  of  paper  was  easily  ob- 


428 


ESCAPING    FROM  CAPTIVITY. 


tained  in  the  office,  and  the  passport  forged.  After  long 
waiting,  he  procured  a  Siberian  wig — that  is,  a  sheepskin  with 
the  wool  turned  in,  to  preserve  the  head  from  the  cold — three 
shirts,  a  sheepskin  bournouse,  and  a  red  velvet  cap  bordered 
with  fur — the  dress  of  a  well-to-do  peasant.  On  a  sharp 
frosty  night  he  quitted  Ekaterinski  for  Tara,  having  deter- 
mined to  try  the  road  to  the  north  for  Archangel,  as  the  least 
frequented.  A  large  fair  was  shortly  to  be  held  at  Irbit,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Urals,  and  he  hoped  to  hide  himself  in  the 
vast  crowd  of  people  that  frequented  it.  Soon  after  he  had 
crossed  the  river  a  sledge  was  heard  behind  him.  He  trem- 
bled for  his  safety — his  pursuers  were  perhaps  coming. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ? "  shouted  the  peasant  who  drove  it. 

"  To  Tara." 

"  Give  me  ten  sous,  and  I  will  take  you." 

"  No  ;  it  is  too  much.    I  will  give  eight." 

"  Well,  so  let  it  be.    Jump  in  quickly." 

He  was  set  down  in  the  street ;  and  knocking  at  a  house, 
inquired  in  the  Russian  fashion — "  Have  you  horses  to 
hire?" 

"  Yes — a  pair.    Where  to  ?  " 

"  To  Irbit.  I  am  a  commercial  traveler,  and  going  to  meet 
my  master.  I  am  behind  my  time,  and  wish  to  go  as  quick- 
ly as  possible." 

No  sooner  had  they  set  off  than  a  snow-storm  came  on, 
and  the  driver  lost  his  way.  They  wandered  about  all  night 
in  the  forest,  and  it  was  impossible  to  describe  the  anguish 
and  suffering  Piotrowski  endured. 

"  Return  to  Tara,"  said  he,  as  the  day  broke  ;  "  I  will  en- 
gage another  sledge ;  and  you  need  not  expect  any  money 
from  me,  after  the  folly  you  have  shown  in  losing  your  way." 

They  turned,  but  had  hardly  gone  a  mile  before  the  driver 
jumped  up,  looked  around,  and  cried — "  This  is  our  road." 
Then  making  up  for  lost  time,  he  set  him  down  at  a  friend's 
house,  where  he  procured  some  tea  and  fresh  horses.  On  he 
went  in  safety,  renewing  his  horses  at  small  expense,  until 
late  at  night,  when  he  suffered  from  a  most  unfortunate  rob- 


A    PECUNIARY  COMPROMISE. 


429 


bery.  He  had  not  money  at  hand  to  pay  the  conductor. 
They  turned  into  a  public-house,  where  a  crowd  of  drunken 
people  were  celebrating  the  carnival.  He  drew  out  some 
paper-money  to  get  change,  when  the  crowd  coming  round, 
some  one  seized  his  papers,  among  which  were  several  rouble 
notes,  his  invaluable  passport,  and  a  note  in  which  he  had 
minutely  inscribed  all  the  towns  and  villages  he  must  pass 
through  on  the  road  to  Archangel.  He  was  in  despair.  The 
very  first  day,  a  quarter  of  his  money  was  gone,  and  the  only 
thing  by  which  he  hoped  to  evade  suspicion,  his  passport. 
He  dare  not  appeal  to  the  police,  and  was  obliged  to  submit. 

Regret  and  hesitation  were  not  to  be  thought  of.  He  soon 
found  himself  on  the  high-road  to  Irbit,  crowded  with  an  in- 
numerable mass  of  sledges,  going  or  returning  to  the  fair. 
It  is  the  season  of  gain  and  good  humor,  and  the  people  show 
it  by  unbounded  gaiety.  Piotrowski  took  courage,  returned 
the  salutations  of  the  passers-by — for  how  could  he  be  dis- 
tinguished in  such  a  crowd  ?  The  gates  of  Irbit  were  reach- 
ed on  the  third  day.  "  Halt,  and  shew  your  passport,"  cried 
an  official ;  but  added  in  a  whisper — "  Give  me  twenty  co- 
pecks, and  pass  quickly."  The  demand  was  willingly  grati- 
fied, and  with  some  difficulty  he  procured  a  night's  lodging, 
lying  on  the  floor  amidst  a  crowd  of  peasants,  who  had  pre- 
viously supped  on  radish-soup,  dried  fish,  oatmeal  gruel,  with 
oil  and  pickled  cabbage. 

Up  at  daybreak,  he  took  care  to  make  the  orthodox  saluta- 
tions, and  passing  rapidly  through  the  crowded  town,  he 
walked  out  of  the  opposite  gate,  for,  henceforwards,  his  scanty 
funds  demanded  that  the  journey  should  be  made  on  foot. 
In  the  midst  of  a  heavily  falling  snow,  he  managed  to  keep 
the  track,  avoiding  the  villages,  and,  when  hungry,  drawing 
a  piece  of  frozen  bread  from  his  bag.  At  nightfall,  he  buried 
himself  in  the  forest,  hollowed  a  deep  hole  in  the  snow,  and 
found  a  hard  but  warm  bed,  where  he  gained  the  repose  he 
so  greatly  needed.  Another  hard  day,  with  a  dry  cutting 
wind,  forced  him  to  ask  for  shelter  at  night  in  a  cottage, 
which  was  granted  without  hesitation.    He  described  himself 


480 


VISITED    BY    THE  POLICE. 


as  a  workman,  going  to  the  iron-foundries  at  Bohotole,on  the 
Ural  Mountains.  Whilst  the  supper  was  preparing,  he  dried 
his  clothes,  and  stretched  himself  on  a  bench  with  inexpress- 
ible satisfaction.  He  fancied  he  had  neglected  no  precautions ; 
his  prayers  and  salutations  had  been  made  ;  and  yet  suspicion 
was  awakened,  as  it  appeared,  by  the  sight  of  his  three  shirts, 
which  no  peasant  possesses.  Three  men  entered,  and  rough- 
ly shook  him  from  sleep,  demanding  his  passport. 

"  By  what  right  do  you  ask  for  it  ?    Are  you  police  ?  " 

"  No  ;  but  we  are  inhabitants  of  the  village." 

u  And  can  you  enter  houses,  and  (ask  for  passports  !  Who 
can  say  whether  you  do  not  mean  to  rob  me  of  my  papers  ? 
But  my  answer  is  ready.  I  am  Lavrenti  Kouzmine,  going  to 
Bohotole  ;  and  it  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  passed  through 
the  country." 

He  then  entered  into  details  of  the  road  and  the  fair  at 
Irbit,  ending  by  showing  his  permission  to  pass,  which,  as  it 
bore  a  stamp,  satisfied  these  ignorant  men. 

"  Forgive  us,"  said  they.  "  We  thought  you  were  an  es- 
caped convict;  some  of  them  pass  this  way." 

Henceforward,  he  dared  not  seek  the  shelter  of  a  house. 
From  the  middle  of  February  to  the  beginning  of  April,  in 
the  midst  of  one  of  the  severest  winters  ever  known,  his 
couch  was  in  the  snow.  Frozen  bread  was  his  food  for  days 
together,  and  the  absence  of  warm  aliments  brought  him  face 
to  face  with  the  terrible  spectres  of  cold  and  hunger.  The 
Urals  were  reached,  and  he  began  to  climb  their  wooded 
heights.  On  passing  through  a  little  village  at  nightfall,  a 
voice  cried  :  "  Who  is  there  ?  " 

"  A  traveler." 

"  Well,  Avould  you  like  to  come  and  sleep  here  ? " 
u  May  God  recompense  you,  yes ;  if  it  will  not  inconven- 
ience you." 

An  aged  couple  lived  there— good  people,  who  prepared  a 
meagre  repast,  which  seemed  a  feast  to  Piotrowski :  the 
greatest  comfort  of  all  being  that  he  could  take  off  his  clothes. 


A    GOOD  SAMARITAN. 


431 


They  gave  him  his  breakfast,  and  would  not  accept  any  re- 
muneration but  his  warm  and  cordial  thanks. 

One  evening  Piotrowski's  life  was  nearly  extinct.  The 
way  was  lost,  the  hail  pierced  his  skin,  his  supply  of  bread 
was  exhausted,  and  after  vainly  dragging  his  weary  limbs,  he 
fell  into  a  kind  of  torpor.  A  loud  voice  roused  him — "  What 
are  you  doing  here  ? " 

"  I  am  making  a  pilgrimage  to  the  monastery  of  Solovetsk, 
but  the  storm  prevented  my  seeing  the  track,  and  I  have  not 
eaten  for  several  days." 

"  It  is  not  surprising.  We  who  live  on  the  spot  often  wan- 
der away.    There,  drink  that." 

The  speaker  gave  him  a  bottle  containing  some  brandy, 
which  burned  him  so  fearfully,  that  in  his  pain  he  danced 
about. 

"  Now  try  to  calm  yourself,"  said  the  good  Samaritan,  giv- 
ing him  some  bread  and  dried  fish,  which  Piotrowski  ate  rav- 
enously, saying — "  I  thank  you  with  all  my  heart.  May  God 
bless  you  for  your  goodness." 

uAh,  well,  do  not  say  so  much ;  we  are  both  Christians. 
Now,  try  to  walk  a  little." 

He  was  a  trapper  ;  and  led  him  into  the  right  path,  point- 
ing out  a  village  inn  where  he  could  get  rest  and  refreshment. 
Piotrowski  managed  to  crawl  to  the  place,  and  then  fainted 
away.  WThen  he  recovered  himself,  he  asked  for  radish-soup, 
but  could  not  swallow  it ;  and  toward  noon  he  fell  asleep  on 
the  bench,  never  awaking  until  the  same  time  on  the  next 
day,  when  the  host  roused  him.  Sleep,  rest,  and  warmth  re- 
stored him,  and  he  again  started  on  his  long  pilgrimage. 

The  town  of  Veliki-Ustiug  was  reached,  where  he  deter- 
mined to  change  his  character  and  become  a  pilgrim,  going 
to  pray  to  the  holy  images  of  Solovetsk,  on  the  White  Sea. 
There  are  four  of  these  holy  places  to  which  pious  Russians 
resort,  and  everywhere  the  wayfarers  are  well  received,  hos- 
pitality and  alms  being  freely  dispensed  to  those  who  are 
going  to  pray  for  the  peace  of  the  donor.  Passports  are  not 
rigorously  exacted,  and  he  hoped  to  join  himself  to  a  com- 


432 


VOYAGE    ON    THE  DWINA. 


pany,  trusting  to  be  less  marked  than  if  alone.  As  he  was 
standing  irresolute  in  the  market-place,  a  young  man  accosted 
him,  and  finding  that  they  were  bound  to  the  same  place,  in- 
vited him  to  join  their  party.  There  were  about  twenty ; 
but  no  less  than  two  thousand  were  in  the  city  on  their  way, 
waiting  until  the  thaw  should  have  opened  the  Dwina  for  the 
rafts  and  boats  which  would  transport  them  to  Archangel, 
and  then  to  Solovetsk.  It  was  a  scene  for  Chaucer:  the 
half-idiot,  who  sought  to  be  a  saint ;  the  knave  who  played 
upon  the  charity  of  others ;  and  the  astute  hypocrite.  The 
rafts  are  loaded  with  corn,  and  the  pilgrims  receive  a  free 
passage  ;  or  a  small  sum  of  money  is  given  them  if  they  con- 
sent to  row ;  from  forty  to  sixty  sailors  being  required  for 
each,  the  oars  consisting  of  a  thin  fir-tree.  Piotrowski  was 
only  too  happy  to  increase  his  small  store  of  money  by  work- 
ing. At  the  break  of  day,  before  starting,  the  captain  cried 
— "  Seat  yourselves,  and  pray  to  God."  Every  one  squatted 
down  like  a  Mussulman  for  a  moment,  then  rose  and  made 
a  number  of  salutations  and  crossings  ;  and  next,  down  to 
the  poorest,  each  threw  a  small  piece  of  money  into  the  river 
to  secure  a  propitious  voyage. 

Fifteen  days  passed,  during  which  Piotrowski  learned  to 
be  an  expert  oarsman.  Then  the  golden  spires  of  Archangel 
rose  before  them  ;  a  cry  of  joy  was  uttered  by  all ;  and  the 
rowers  broke  off  the  lower  parts  of  their  oars  with  a  frightful 
crash,  according  to  the  universal  custom.  It  was  a  heartfelt 
prayer  of  gratitude  that  Piotrowski  raised  to  God  for  having 
brought  him  thus  far  in  safety.  How  pleasant  was  the  sight 
of  the  ships,  with  their  flags  of  a  thousand  colors,  after  the 
snow  and  eternal  forests  of  the  Urals  !  But  there  was  again 
disappointment.  He  wandered  along  the  piers,  but  could  not 
find  a  single  vessel  bound  for  France  or  Germany,  and  not 
daring  to  enter  the  cafes,  where  perhaps  the  captains  might 
have  been,  he  left  Archangel  in  sadness,  determined  to  skirt 
the  coast  towards  Onega.  He  would  thus  pass  the  celebrated 
monastery  without  the  necessity  of  stopping,  and  pretend 


BEARDING    THE  LION. 


433 


that  he  was  proceeding  to  Novgorod  and  Moscow  on  the  same 
pious  pilgrimage. 

Through  marshes  and  blighted  fir-plantations  the  weary- 
wayfarer  sped,  the  White  Sea  rising  frequently  into  storms 
of  the  utmost  grandeur ;  but  the  season  was  lovely,  and  the 
sun  warm,  so  that  camping  out  offered  less  hardship.  The 
wolves  howled  around  him,  but  happily  he  never  saw  them. 
Many  soldiers,  who  were  Poles,  were  established  at  different 
points  to  take  charge  of  the  canals. 

Having  reached  Yytegra,  he  was  accosted  on  the  shore  by 
a  peasant,  who  asked  where  he  was  going.  On  hearing  his 
story,  he  said — u  You  are  the  man  I  want.  I  am  going  to 
St.  Petersburg.  My  boat  is  small,  and  you  can  assist  me 
to  row." 

The  crafty  fellow  evidently  intended  to  profit  by  the  pil- 
grim's arms  without  wages  ;  but,  after  long  debate,  he  agreed 
to  supply  Piotrowski  with  food  during  the  transport.  It 
seemed  strange,  indeed,  to  go  to  the  capital — like  running 
into  the  jaws  of  the  lion — but  he  seized  every  occasion  to 
pass  on,  lest  his  papers  should  be  asked  for.  As  they  coasted 
down  through  Lake  Ladoga  and  the  Neva,  they  took  in  some 
women  as  passengers,  who  were  servants,  and  had  been  home 
to  see  their  parents.  One  of  them,  an  aged  washerwoman, 
was  so  teased  by  the  others,  that  Piotrowski  took  her  part, 
and  in  return  she  offered  him  some  very  useful  assistance. 

"  My  daughter,"  she  said,  "  will  come  to  meet  me,  and  she 
will  find  you  a  suitable  lodging." 

It  will  be  guessed  with  what  joy  he  accepted  the  proposal ; 
and  during  all  the  time  spent  in  the  boat,  no  one  came  to  ask 
for  passports.  The  house  she  took  him  to  was  sufficiently 
miserable  ;  as  the  Russians  say,  "  It  was  the  bare  ground, 
with  the  wrist  for  a  pillow."  He  asked  his  hostess  if  he 
must  see  the  police  to  arrange  the  business  of  his  passport. 

"  No,"  she  said.  "  If  you  only  stay  a  few  days,  it  is  use- 
less. They  have  become  so  exacting,  that  they  would  require 
me  to  accompany  you,  and  my  time  is  too  precious." 

As  he  passed  along  the  quays,  looking  for  a  ship,  his  eyes 
28 


434 


RUNNING    THE  GAUNTLET. 


rested  on  one  to  sail  for  Riga  on  the  following  morning.  He 
could  scarcely  master  his  emotion.  The  pilot  on  board  call- 
ed out — "  If  you  want  a  place  to  Riga,  come  here." 

"  I  certainly  want  one  ;  but  I  am  too  poor  to  sail  in  a 
steamer.    It  would  cost  too  much." 

He  named  a  very  small  sum,  and  said — "  Come ;  why  do 
you  hesitate  ? " 

"  I  only  arrived  yesterday,  and  the  police  have  not  vise  my 
passport." 

"  That  will  occupy  three  days.  Go  without  a  vise.  Be 
here  at  seven  o'clock,  and  wait  for  me." 

Both  were  to  their  time.  The  sailor  said,  "  Give  me  some 
money,"  and  handed  him  a  yellow  paper  ;  the  clock  struck  ; 
the  barrier  was  opened,  and,  like  a  dream,  he  was  safely  on 
the  ocean. 

From  Riga  he  went  through  Courland  and  Lithuania.  The 
difficulty  of  crossing  the  Russian  frontier  into  Prussia  was 
still  to  be  managed.  He  chose  the  daytime  ;  and  when  sen- 
tinels had  each  turned  their  backs,  he  jumped  over  the  wall 
of  the  first  of  the  three  glacis.  No  noise  was  heard.  The 
second  was  tried,  and  the  firing  of  pistols  showed  that  he 
was  perceived.  He  rushed  on  to  the  third,  and,  breathless 
and  exhausted,  gained  a  little  wood,  where  for  many  hours 
he  remained  concealed.  He  was  in  Prussia.  Wandering  on 
through  Memel,  Tilsit,  and  Konigsberg,  he  decided  at  the 
last  place  to  take  a  ship  the  next  morning  to  Elbing,  where 
he  would  be  near  to  Posen,  and  among  his  compatriots.  Sit- 
ting down  on  a  heap  of  stones,  he  intended  taking  refuge  for 
the  night  in  a  corn-field ;  but  sleep  overcame  him,  and  he 
was  rudely  awakened  in  the  darkness  by  a  policeman.  His 
stammering  and  confused  replies  awakened  suspicion,  and  to 
his  shame  and  grief,  he  was  carried  off  to  prison.  He  an- 
nounced himself  as  a  French  cotton-spinner,  but  returning 
from  Russia,  and  without  a  passport.  Not  a  word  he  said 
was  believed.  At  length,  after  a  month's  detention,  weary 
of  being  considered  a  concealed  malefactor,  he  asked  to  speak 
to  M.  Fleury,  a  French  advocate,  who  assisted  at  his  trial. 


SAFE    AT  LAST. 


435 


To  him  he  confessed  the  whole  truth.  Nothing  could  equal 
his  advocate's  consternation  and  astonishment. 

"  What  a  misfortune  ! "  he  said.  "  We  must  give  you  up 
to  the  Russians  ;  they  have  just  sent  many  of  your  country- 
men across  the  frontier.  There  is  but  one  way.  Write  to 
Count  Eulenberg ;  tell  your  story,  and  trust  to  his  mercy." 

After  ten  days  he  received  a  vague  reply,  desiring  him  to 
have  patience.  The  affair  got  wind  in  the  town,  and  a  gen- 
tleman came  to  him,  asking  if  he  would  accept  him  as  bail. 
Efforts  had  been  made  in  his  favor,  and  the  police  were  ready 
to  set  him  free.  M.  Kamke,  his  kind  friend,  took  him  home, 
and  entertained  him  for  a  week ;  but  an  order  came  from 
Berlin  to  send  the  prisoner  back  to  Russia,  and  he  received 
warning  in  time  to  escape.  Letters  to  various  friends  on  the 
way  were  given  him,  to  facilitate  his  journey  ;  and  just  four 
years  after  he  had  left  Paris  he  reached  it  in  safety  again, 
after  having  crossed  the  Urals,  slept  for  months  in  the  snow, 
jumped  over  the  Russian  frontier  in  the  midst  of  balls,  and 
passed  through  so  many  sufferings  and  privations. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


I REMAINED  in  Irkutsk  until  snow  fell,  and  the  winter 
roads  were  suitable  for  travel.  One  day  the  moving 
portion  of  the  city  was  on  wheels  :  the  next  saw  it  gliding 
on  runners.  The  little  sleighs  of  the  isvoshchiks  are  exactly 
like  those  of  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow, — miniature  affairs 
where  you  sit  with  your  face  within  six  inches  of  the  driver's 
back,  and  cannot  take  a  friend  at  your  side  without  much 
crowding.  They  move  rapidly,  and  it  is  a  fortunate  provis- 
ion that  they  are  cheap.  In  all  large  cities  and  towns  of  Rus- 
sia many  isvoshchiks  go  to  spend  the  winter.  With  a  hoise 
and  little  sleigh  and  a  cash  capital  sufficient  to  buy  a  license, 
one  of  these  enterprising  fellows  will  set  up  in  business.  No- 
body thinks  of  walking  in  Moscow  or  St.  Petersburg,  unless 
his  journey  or  his  purse  is  very  short.  It  is  said  there  are 
thirty  thousand  sleighs  for  public  hire  in  St.  Petersburg  alone, 
during  the  winter  months,  and  two-thirds  that  number  in 
Moscow.  The  interior  towns  are  equally  well  supplied  in 
proportion  to  their  population. 

One  may  naturally  suppose  that  accidents  are  frequent 
where  there  are  many  vehicles  and  fast  driving  is  the  fashion. 
Accidents  are  rare  from  the  fact  that  drivers  are  under  severe 
penalties  if  they  run  over  any  one.  Furthermore  the  horses 
are  quick  and  intelligent,  and  being  driven  without  blinkers, 
can  use  their  eyes  freely.  To  my  mind  this  plan  is  better 
than  ours,  and  most  foreigners  living  in  Russia  are  inclined 
to  adopt  it.  Considered  as  an  ornament  a  blinker  decorates 
a  horse  about  as  much  as  an  eye  shade  does  a  man. 

With  the  first  fall  of  snow,  I  began  preparations  for  de- 

(436) 


PREPARATIONS    FOR  TRAVEL. 


437 


parture.  I  summoned  a  tailor  and  gave  orders  for  a  variety 
of  articles  in  fur  and  sheep-skin  for  the  road.  He  measured 
me  for  a  coat,  a  cap,  a  pair  of  stockings,  and  a  sleigh  robe, 
all  in  sheep-skin.  He  then  took  the  size  of  my  ears  for  a 
pair  of  lappets,  and  proposed  fur  socks  to  be  worn  under  the 
stockings.  When  the  accumulated  result  of  his  labors  was 
piled  upon  the  floor  of  my  room,  I  was  alarmed  at  its  size, 
and  wondered  if  it  could  ever  be  packed  in  a  single  sleigh. 
Out  of  a  bit  of  sable  skin  a  lady  acquaintance  constructed  a 
mitten  for  my  nose,  to  be  worn  when  the  temperature  was 
lowest.  It  was  not  an  improvement  to  one's  personal  ap- 
pearance though  very  conducive  to  comfort. 

To  travel  by  peraclodnoi  (changing  the  vehicle  at  every 
station)  is  bad  enough  in  summer  but  ten  times  bad  in  win- 
ter. To  turn  out  every  two  or  three  hours  with  the  thermom- 
eter any  distance  below  zero,  and  shift  baggage  and  furs  from 
one  sleigh  to  another  is  an  absolute  nuisance.  Very  few  per- 
sons travel  by  peraclodnoi  in  winter,  and  one  does  not  find 
many  sleighs  at  the  post  stations  from  the  fact  that  they  are 
seldom  demanded.  Nearly  all  travelers  buy  their  sleighs  be- 
fore starting,  and  sell  them  when  their  journeys  are  ended. 

I  surveyed  the  Irkutsk  market  and  found  several  sleighs 
'  up'  for  sale.  Throughout  Siberia  a  sleigh  manufactured  at 
Kazan  is  preferred,  it  being  better  made  and  more  commodi- 
ous than  its  rivals.  My  attention  was  called  to  several  vehi- 
cles of  local  manufacture  but  my  friends  advised  me  not  to 
try  them.  I  sought  a  Kazanski  kibitka  and  with  the  aid  of  an 
intelligent  isvoshchik  succeeded  in  finding  one.  Its  purchase 
was  accomplished  in  a  manner  peculiarly  Russian. 
,  The  seller  was  a  mischanin  or  Russian  merchant  of  the 
peasant  class.  Accompanied  by  a  friend  I  called  at  his  house 
and  our  negotiation  began  over  a  lunch  and  a  bottle  of  nalifka. 
We  said  nothing  on  the  subject  nearest  my  heart  and  his,  for 
at  least  a  half  hour,  but  conversed  on  general  topics.  My 
friend  at  length  dropped  a  hint  that  I  thought  of  taking  up 
my  residence  at  Irkutsk.    This  was  received  with  delight, 


438 


BARGAINING    FOR    A  SLEIGH. 


and  a  glass  of  nalifka,  supplementary  to  at  least  half  a  dozen 
glasses  I  had  already  swallowed. 

"  Why  don't  you  come  to  sleighs  at  once,  and  settle  the 
matter  ?"  I  asked.  "  He  probably  knows  what  we  want,  and 
if  we  keep  on  at  this  rate  I  shall  need  a  sleigh  to  go  home  in." 

"  Don't  be  impatient,"  said  my  friend  ;  "  you  don't  under- 
stand these  people  ;  you  must  angle  them  gently.  When  you 
want  to  make  a  trade,  begin  a  long  way  from  it.  If  you  want 
to  buy  a  horse,  pretend  that  you  want  to  sell  a  cow,  but  don't 
mention  the  horse  at  first.   If  you  do  you  will  never  succeed." 

We  hedged  very  carefully  and  finally  reached  the  subject. 
This  was  so  overpowering  that  we  took  a  drink  while  the 
merchant  ordered  the  sleigh  dragged  into  the  court  yard. 
We  had  another  glass  before  we  adjourned  for  the  inspection, 
a  later  one  when  we  returned  to  the  house,  and  another  as 
soon  as  we  were  seated.  After  this  our  negotiations  proceed- 
ed at  a  fair  pace,  but  there  were  many  vacuums  of  language  that 
required  liquid  filling.  After  endeavoring  to  lower  his  price, 
I  closed  with  him  and  we  clenched  the  bargain  with  a  drink. 
Sleighs  were  in  great  demand,  as  many  persons  were  setting 
out  for  Russia,  and  I  made  sure  of  my  purchase  by  paying 
on  the  spot  and  taking  a  glass  of  nalifka.  As  a  finale  to  the 
transaction,  he  urged  me  to  drink  again,  begged  my  photo- 
graph, and  promised  to  put  an  extra  something  to  the  sleigh. 

The  Siberian  peasant  classes  are  much  like  the  Chinese  in 
their  manner  of  bargaining.  Neither  begins  at  the  business 
itself,  but  at  something  entirely  different.  A  great  deal  of 
time,  tea,  and  tobacco  is  consumed  before  the  antagonists  are 
fairly  met.  When  the  main  subject  is  reached  they  gradually 
approach  and  conclude  the  bargain  about  where  both  expect- 
ed and  intended.  An  American  would  come  straight  to  the 
point,  and  dealing  with  either  of  the  above  races  his  blunt- 
ness  would  endanger  the  whole  affair.  In  many  matters  this 
patient  angling  is  advantageous,  and  nowhere  more  so  than  in 
diplomacy.  Every  one  will  doubtless  acknowledge  the  Rus- 
sians unsurpassed  in  diplomatic  skill.  They  possess  the  fac- 
ulty of  touching  gently,  and  playing  with  their  opponents,  to 


VEHICLES    FOR  TRAVELING. 


439 


a  higher  degree  than  any  nation  of  Western  Europe.  Other 
things  being  equal,  this  ability  will  bring  success. 

There  are  several  descriptions  of  sleigh  for  Siberian  travel. 
At  the  head,  stands  the  vashok,  a  box-like  affair  with  a  gen- 
eral resemblance  to  an  American  coach  on  runners.    It  has 


limited  baggage  can  find  plenty  of  room  in  a  vashok.  A 
kilitka  is  shaped  much  like  a  tarantass,  or  like  a  New  Eng 
land  chaise  stretched  to  about  seven  feet  long  by  four  in  width. 
There  is  a  sort  of  apron  that  can  be  let  down  from  the  hood 
and  fastened  with  straps  and  buckles  to  the  boot.  The  boot 
can  be  buttoned  to  the  sides  of  the  vehicle  and  completely 
encloses  the  occupants.  The  vashok  is  used  by  families  or 
ladies,  but  the  kibitka  is  generally  preferred  by  men  on  ac- 
count of  the  ability  to  open  it  in  fine  weather,  and  close  it  at 
night  or  in  storms. 

A  sleigh  much  like  this  but  less  comfortable  is  called  a 
povoska.  In  either  of  them  the  driver  sits  on  the  forward 
part  with  his  feet  hanging  over  the  side.  His  perch  is  not 
very  secure,  and  on  a  rough  road  he  must  exercise  care  to 
prevent  falling  off.  "  Why  don't  you  have  a  better  seat  for 
your  driver  ?"  I  asked  of  my  friend,  when  negotiating  for  a 
sleigh.  "  Oh,"  said  he,  "  this  is  the  best  way  as  he  cannot 
go  to  sleep.  If  he  had  a  better  place  he  would  sleep  and 
lose  time  by  slow  traveling." 

A  sleigh  much  used  by  Russian  merchants  is  shaped  like 
an  elongated  mill-hopper.    It  has  enormous  carrying  capacity, 


a  door  at 
each  side 
and  glass 
w  i  n  d  o  ws 
and  is  long 
enough  for 
one  to  lie 
at  full 


A  VASHOK. 


length. 
Three  per- 
sons with 


440 


A   RUSSIAN  SLEIGH. 


A  KIBITKA. 


and  in  bad  weather  can  be  covered  with  matting  to  exclude 
cold  and  snow.  It  is  large,  heavy,  and  cumbersome,  and 
adapted  to  slow  travel,  and  when  much  luggage  is  to  be 
carried.  All  these  concerns  are  I 
on  runners  J 
about  thirty 
inches  apart, 
and  generally 
shod  with 
iron.  On  each 
side  there  is 
a  fender  or 
outrigger 
which  serves 

the  double  purpose  of  diminishing  injury  from  collisions  and 
preventing  the  overturn  of  the  sleigh.  It  is  a  stout  pole  at- 
tached to  the  forward  end  of  the  sleigh,  and  sloping  down- 
ward and  outward  toward  the  rear  where  it  is  two  feet  from 
the  runner,  and  held  by  strong  braces.  On  a  level  surface  it 
does  not  touch  the  snow,  but  should  the  sleigh  tilt  from  any 
cause  the  outrigger  will  generally  prevent  an  overturn.  In 
collision  with  other  sleighs,  the  fender  plays  an  important 
part.  I  have  been  occasionally  dashed  against  sleds  and 
sleighs  when  the  chances  of  a  smash-up  appeared  brilliant. 
The  fenders  met  like  a  pair  of  fencing  foils,  and  there  was 
no  damage  beyond  the  shock  of  our  meeting. 

The  horses  are  harnessed  in  the  Russian  manner,  one  be- 
ing under  a  yoke  in  the  shafts,  and  the  others,  up  to  five  or 
six,  attached  outside.  There  is  no  seat  in  the  interior  of  the 
sleigh.  Travelers  arrange  their  baggage  and  furs  to  as  good 
a  level  as  possible  and  fill  the  crevices  with  hay  or  straw. 
They  sit,  recline,  or  lie  at  their  option.  Pillows  are  a  neces- 
sity of  winter  travel. 

I  exchanged  my  trunk  for  a  chemidan  of  enormous  capac- 
ity, and  long  enough  to  extend  across  the  bottom  of  my  sleigh. 
For  the  first  thousand  versts,  to  Krasnoyarsk,  I  arranged  to 
travel  with  a  young  officer  of  engineers  whose  baggage  con- 


A    FIRST-CLASS    SAINT'S  DAY. 


441 


sisted  of  two  or  three  hundred  pounds  of  geological  speci- 
mens. For  provisions  we  ordered  beef,  cabbage  soup,  little 
cakes  like  '  mince  turnovers,'  and  a  few  other  articles.  Tea 
and  sugar  were  indispensable,  and  had  a  prominent  place. 
Our  soups,  meat,  pies,  et  cetera  were  frozen  and  only  needed 
thawing  at  the  stations  to  be  ready  for  use. 

The  day  before  my  departure  was  the  peculiar  property  of 
Saint  Inakentief,  the  only  saint  who  belongs  especially  to  Si- 
beria. Everybody  kept  the  occasion  in  full  earnest,  the  ser- 
vices commencing  the  previous  evening  when  nearly  every- 
body got  drunk.  I  had  a  variety  of  preparations  in  the  shape 
of  mending,  making  bags,  tying  up  bundles  and  the  like,  but 
though  I  offered  liberal  compensation  neither  man-servant  nor 
maid-servant  would  lend  assistance.  Labor  was  not  to  be 
had  on  any  terms,  and  I  was  obliged  to  do  my  own  packing. 
There  are  certain  saints'  days  in  the  year  when  a  Russian 
peasant  will  no  more  work  than  would  a  Puritan  on  Sunday. 
All  who  could  do  so  on  the  day  above  mentioned  visited  the 
church  four  miles  from  Irkutsk,  where  Saint  Inakentief  lies 
buried. 

I  occupied  the  fashionable  hours  of  the  two  days  before  my 
departure  in  making  farewell  visits  according  to  Russian  eti- 
quette. Not  satisfied  with  their  previous  courtesy  my  friends 
arranged  a  dinner  at  the  club  rooms  for  the  last  evening  of 
my  stay  at  Irkutsk.  The  other  public  dinners  were  of  a  mas- 
culine character,  but  the  farewell  entertainment  possessed  the 
charm  of  the  presence  of  fifteen  or  twenty  ladies.  General 
ShelashnikofT,  Governor  of  Irkutsk,  and  acting  Governor 
General  during  the  absence  of  General  KorsackofT,  presided  at 
the  table.  We  dined  directly  before  the  portraits  of  the  last 
and  present  emperors  of  Russia,  and  as  I  looked  at  the  like- 
ness of  Nicholas  I  thought  I  had  never  seen  it  half  as  amiable. 

After  the  dinner  the  tables  disappeared  with  magical  ra- 
pidity and  a  dance  began.  While  I  was  talking  in  a  corner 
behind  a  table,  a  large  album  containing  views  of  Irkutsk 
was  presented  to  me  as  a  souvenir  of  my  visit.  The  golovah 
was  prominent  in  the  presentation,  and  when  it  was  ended 


442 


AN    AWKWARD  DANC3. 


he  urged  me  to  be  his  vis  a  vis  in  a  quadrille.  Had  he  asked 
me  to  walk  a  tight  rope  or  interpret  a  passage  of  Sanscrit,  I 
should  have  been  about  as  able  to  comply.  My  education  in 
'  the  light  fantastic  '  has  been  extremely  limited,  and  my  ac- 
quaintances will  testify  that  nature  has  not  adapted  me  to 
achievements  in  the  Terpsichorean  art. 

I  resisted  all  entreaties  to  join  the  dance  up  to  that  eve- 
ning. I  urged  that  I  never  attempted  it  a  dozen  times  in  my 
life,  and  not  at  all  within  ten  years.  The  golovah  declared 
he  had  not  danced  in  twenty-five  years,  and  knew  as  little  of 
the  art  as  I  did.  There  was  no  more  to  be  said.  I  resigned 
myself  to  the  pleasures  awaiting  me,  and  ventured  on  the 
floor  very  much  as  an  elephant  goes  on  a  newly  frozen  mill- 
pond.  Personal  diffidence  and  a  regard  for  truth  forbid  a 
laudatory  account  of  my  success.  I  did  walk  through  a  quad- 
rille, but  when  it  came  to  the  Mazurka  I  was  as  much  out  of 
place  as  a  blind  man  in  a  picture  gallery. 

My  arrangement  to  travel  with  the  geologic  officer  and 
his  heavy  baggage  fell  through  an  hour  before  our  starting 
time.  A  new  plan  was  organized  and  included  my  tak- 
ing Captain  Paul  in  my  sleigh  to  Krasnoyarsk.  Two 
ladies  of  our  acquaintance  were  going  thither,  and  I  gladly 
waited  a  few  hours  for  the  pleasure  of  their  company.  When 
my  preparations  were  completed,  I  drove  to  the  house  of 
Madame  Rodstvcnny  whence  we  were  to  set  out.  The  mad- 
ame  and  her  daughter  were  to  travel  in  a  large  kibitka,  and 
had  bestowed  two  servants  with  much  baggage  and  provis- 
ions in  a  vashok.  With  our  three  vehicles  we  made  a  digni- 
fied procession. 

We  dined  at  three  o'clock,  and  were  ready  to  start  an  hour 
later.  Just  before  leaving  the  house  all  were  seated  around 
the  principal  room,  and  for  a  minute  there  was  perfect 
silence.  On  rising  all  who  professed  the  religion  of  the  Greek 
Church  bowed  to  the  holy  picture  and  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross.  This  custom  prevails  throughout  Russia,  and  is  never 
omitted  when  a  journey  is  to  be  commenced. 

There  was  a  gay  party  to  conduct  us  to  the  first  station, 


THE   AMERICAN    FLAG    AT   IRKUTSK.  443 

conveniently  situated  only  eight  miles  away.  At  the  ferry 
we  found  the  largest  assemblage  I  saw  in  Irkutsk,  not  except- 
ing the  crowd  at  the  fire.  The  ferry  boat  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  and  as  I  glanced  across  I  saw  something 
that  caused  me  to  look  more  intently.  It  was  a  little  past 
sunset,  and  the  gathering  night  showed  somewhat  indistinctly 
the  American  and  Russian  flags  floating  side  by  side  on  the 
boat.    My  national  colors  were  in  the  majority. 

The  scene  was  rendered  more  picturesque  by  a  profusion 
of  Chinese  lanterns  lighting  every  part  of  the  boat.  The 
golovah  stood  at  my  side  to  enjoy  my  astonishment.  It  was 
to  his  kindness  and  attention  that  this  farewell  courtesy  was 
due.  He  had  the  honor  of  unfurling  the  first  American  flag 
that  ever  floated  over  the  Angara — and  his  little  surprise 
raised  a  goodly  sized  lump  in  the  throat  of  his  guest. 


FAREWELL  TO  IRKUTSK. 


Our  party  was  so  large  that  the  boat  made  two  journeys  to 
ferry  us  over  the  water.  I  remained  till  the  last,  and  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  bade  adieu  to  Irkutsk  and  its  hospitable  cit- 
izens. I  may  not  visit  them  again,  but  I  can  never  forget  the 
open  hearted  kindness  I  enjoyed.   The  Siberians  have  a  climate 


444 


A   BIBULOUS  FAREWELL. 


of  great  severity,  but  its  frosts  and  snows  have  not  been  able 
to  chill  the  spirit  of  genuine  courtesy,  as  every  traveler  in 
that  region  can  testify.  Hospitality  is  a  custom  of  the  coun- 
•  try,  and  all  the  more  pleasing  because  heartily  and  cheerfully 
bestowed. 

The  shades  of  night  were  falling  fast  as  I  climbed  the  river 
bank,  and  began  my  sleigh  ride  toward  the  west.  The  arched 
gateway  at  Irkutsk  close  by  the  ferry  landing,  is  called  the 
Moscow  entrance,  and  is  said  to  face  directly  toward  the  an- 
cient capital.  As  I  reached  the  road,  I  shouted  "  poshol"  to 
the  yemshick,  and  we  dashed  off  in  fine  style.  At  the  church 
or  monastery  six  versts  away,  I  overtook  our  party.  The 
ladies  were  in  the  chapel  offering  their  prayers  for  a  pros- 
perous journey.  When  they  emerged  w  e  were  ready  to  go 
forward  over  a  road  not  remarkable  for  its  smoothness. 

At  the  first  station  our  friends  joined  us  in  taking  tea. 
Cups,  glasses,  cakes,  champagne  bottles,  cakes  and  cold  meats, 
crept  somehow  from  mysterious  corners  in  our  vehicles.  The 
station  master  was  evidently  accustomed  to  visits  like  this, 
as  his  rooms  were  ready  for  our  reception.  We  were  two 
hours  in  making  our  adieus,  and  consuming  the  various  arti- 
cles provided  for  the  occasion.  There  was  a  general  kissing 
all  around  at  the  last  moment. 

We  packed  the  ladies  in  their  sleigh,  and  then  entered  our 
own.  As  we  left  the  station  our  friends  joined  their  voices 
in  a  farewell  song  that  rang  in  our  ears  till  lost  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  drowned  by  nearer  sounds.  Our  bells  jingled  mer- 
rily in  the  frosty  air  as  our  horses  sped  rapidly  along  the 
road.  We  closed  the  front  of  our  sleigh,  and  settled  among 
our  furs  and  pillows.  The  night  was  cold,  but  in  my  thick 
wrappings  I  enjoyed  a  tropical  warmth  and  did  not  heed  the 
low  state  of  the  thermometer. 

Our  road  for  seventy  versts  lay  along  the  bank  of  the  An- 
gara. A  thick  fog  filled  the  valley  and  seemed  to  hug  close 
to  the  river.  In  the  morning  every  part  of  our  sleigh  except 
at  the  points  of  friction,  was  white  with  frost.  Each  little 
fibre  projecting  from  our  cover  of  canvas  and  matting  be- 


A    SIBERIAN  FROST-CLOUD. 


445 


came  a  miniature  stalactite,  and  the  head  of  every  nail,  bolt, 
and  screw,  buried  itself  beneath  a  mass  like  oxydised  silver. 
Everything  had  seized  upon  and  congealed  some  of  the  mois- 
ture floating  in  the  atmosphere.  Our  horses  were  of  the 
color,  or  no  color,  of  rabbits  in  January  ;  it  was  only  by 
brushing  away  the  frost  that  the  natural  tint  of  their  hair 
could  be  discovered,  and  sometimes  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
frost  adhering  to  them. 

During  my  stay  at  Irkutsk  I  noticed  the  prevalence  of  this 
fog  or  frost  cloud.  It  usually  formed  during  the  night  and 
was  thickest  near  the  river.  In  the  morning  it  enveloped 
the  whole  city,  but  when  the  sun  was  an  hour  or  two  in  the 
heavens,  the  mist  began  to  melt  away.  It  remained  longest 
over  the  river,  and  I  was  occasionally  in  a  thick  cloud  on  the 
bank  of  the  Angara  when  the  atmosphere  a  hundred  yards 
away  was  perfectly  clear.  The  moisture  congealed  on  every 
stationary  object.  Houses  and  fences  were  cased  in  ice,  its 
thickness  varying  with  the  condition  of  the  weather.  Trees 
and  bushes  became  masses  of  crystals,  and  glistened  in  the 
sunlight  as  if  formed  of  diamonds.  I  could  never  wholly 
rid  myself  of  the  impression  that  some  of  the  trees  were 
fountains  caught  and  frozen  when  in  full  action.  The  frost 
played  curious  tricks  of  artistic  skill,  and  its  delineations 
were  sometimes  marvels  of  beauty. 

Any  one  who  has  visited  St.  Petersburg  in  winter  remem- 
bers the  effect  of  a  fog  from  the  Gulf  of  Finland  after  a 
period  of  severe  cold.  The  red  granite  columns  of  St.  Isaac's 
church  are  apparently  transformed  into  spotless  marble  by  the 
congelation  of  moisture  on  their  surface.  In  the  same  man- 
ner I  have  seen  a  gray  wall  at  Irkutsk  changed  in  a  night 
and  morning  to  a  dazzling  whiteness.  The  crystalline  form- 
ation of  the  frost  had  all  the  varieties  of  the  kaleidoscope 
without  its  colors. 

I  slept  well  during  the  night,  awaking  occasionally  at  the 
stations  or  when  the  sleigh  experienced  an  unusually  heavy 
thump.  In  the  morning  I  learned  we  had  traveled  a  hundred 
and  sixty  versts  from  Irkutsk.    The  road  was  magnificent 


446 


CARRYING  PROVISIONS. 


after  leaving  the  valley  of  the  Angara,  and  the  sleigh  glided 
easily  and  with  very  little  jolting. 

"  No  cloud  above,  no  earth  below  ; 
A  universe  of  sky  and  snow." 

I  woke  to  daylight  and  found  a  monotonous  country  desti- 
tute of  mountains  and  possessing  few  hills.  It  was  gener- 
ally wooded,  and  where  under  cultivation  near  the  villages 
there  was  an  appearance  of  fertility.  There  were  long  dis- 
tances between  the  clusters  of  houses,  and  I  was  continually 
reminded  of  the  abundant  room  for  increase  of  population. 

We  stopped  for  breakfast  soon  after  sunrise.  The  samovar 
was  ordered,  and  our  servants  brought  a  creditable  supply  of 
toothsome  little  cakes  and  pies.  These  with  half  a  dozen 
cups  of  tea  to  each  person  prepared  us  for  a  ride  of  several 
hours.  We  dined  a  little  before  sunset,  and  for  one  I  can 
testify  that  full  justice  was  done  to  the  dinner. 

Very  little  can  be  had  at  the  stations  on  this  road,  so  that 
experienced  travelers  carry  their  own  provisions.  One  can 
always  obtain  hot  water,  and  generally  bread,  and  eggs,  but 
nothing  else  is  certain.  In  winter,  provisions  can  be  easily 
carried  as  the  frost  preserves  them  alike  from  decaying  or 
crushing.  Soup,  meats,  bread,  and  other  edibles  can  be  car- 
ried on  long  routes  with  perfect  facility.  There  is  a  favorite 
preparation  for  Russian  travel  under  the  name  of  pilmania. 
It  is  a  little  ball  of  minced  meat  covered  with  dough,  the 
whole  being  no  larger  than  a  robin's  egg.  In  a  frozen  state 
a  bag  full  of  pilmania  is  like  the  same  quantity  of  walnuts  or 
marbles,  and  can  be  tossed  about  with  impunity.  When  a 
traveler  wishes  to  dine  upon  this  article  he  orders  a  pot  of 
boiling  water  and  tosses  a  double  handful  of  pilmania  into  it. 
After  five  minutes  boiling  the  mass  is  ready  to  be  eaten  in  the 
form  of  soup.  Salt,  pepper,  and  vinegar  can  be  used  with  it 
to  one's  liking. 

Our  diner  du  voyage  consisted  of  pilmania,  roast  beef,  and 
partridge  with  bread,  cakes,  tea,  and  quass.  Our  table  furni- 
ture was  somewhat  limited,  and  the  room  was  littered  with 
garments  temporarily  discarded.    The  ladies  were  crinoline- 


A   ROADSIDE  CONCERT. 


44T 


less,  and  their  coiffures  were  decidedly  not  Parisian.  My 
costume  was  a  cross  between  a  shooting  outfit  and  the  every- 
day dress  of  a  stevedore,  while  my  hair  appeared  as  if  re- 
cently dressed  with  a  currant  bush.  Captain  Paul  was  equally 
unpresentable  in  fastidious  parlors,  but  whatever  our  apparel 
it  did  not  diminish  the  keenness  of  our  appetites.  The  din- 
ner was  good,  and  the  diners  were  hungry  and  happy.  Fash- 
ion is  wholly  rejected  on  the  Siberian  road,  and  each  one 
makes  his  toilet  without  regard  to  French  principles  and 
tastes. 

According  to  Russian  custom  somebody  was  to  be  thanked 
for  the  meal.  As  the  dinner  came  from  the  provisions  in  the 
servants'  sleigh  we  presented  our  acknowledgments  to  Mad- 
ame Rodstvenny.  With  the  forethought  of  an  experienced 
traveler  the  lady  had  carefully  provided  her  edibles  and  so 
abundant  was  her  store  that  my  supply  was  rarely  drawn 
upon.  We  were  more  like  a  pic-nic  party  than  a  company 
of  travelers  on  a  long  journey  in  a  Siberian  winter.  Made- 
moiselle was  fluent  in  French,  and  charming  in  its  use.  The 
only  drawback  to  general  conversation  was  my  inability  to 
talk  long  with  Madame  except  by  interpretation.  In  our 
halts  we  managed  to  pass  the  time  in  tea-drinking,  conversa- 
tion, and  sometimes  with  music  of  an  impromptu  character. 
I  remember  favoring  an  appreciative  audience  with  a  solo  on 
a  trunk  key,  followed  by  mademoiselle  and  the  captain  in  a 
duett  on  a  tin  cup  and  a  horn  comb  covered  with  letter  paper. 

There  was  very  little  scenery  worthy  of  note.  The  vil- 
lages generally  lay  in  single  streets  each  containing  from  ten 
to  a  hundred  houses.  Between  these  clusters  of  dwellings 
there  was  little  to  be  seen  beyond  a  succession  of  wooded 
ridges  with  stretches  of  open  ground.  The  continued  snow- 
scape  offered  no  great  variety  on  the  first  day's  travel,  and 
before  night  I  began  to  think  it  monotonous.  The  villages 
were  from  ten  to  twenty  miles  apart,  and  very  much  the  same 
in  general  characteristics.  The  stations  had  a  family  like- 
ness. Each  had  a  travelers'  room  more  or  less  comfortable, 
and  a  few  apartments  for  the  smotretal  and  his  attendants. 


448  REMINISCENCE    OF   MARCO  POLO. 

The  travelers'  room  had  some  rough  chairs,  one  or  two  hard 
sofas  or  benches,  and  the  same  number  of  tables.  While 
the  horses  were  being  changed  we  had  our  option  to  enter 
the  station  or  stay  out  of  doors.  I  generally  preferred  the 
latter  alternative  on  account  of  the  high  temperature  of  the 
waiting  rooms,  which  necessitated  casting  olT  one's  outer  gar- 
ment on  entering.  During  our  halts  I  was  fain  to  refresh 
myself  with  a  little  leg  stretching  and  found  it  a  great  relief. 

The  first  movement  at  a  station  is  to  present  the  padaroshnia 
and  demand  horses.  Marco  Polo  says,  that  the  great  Khan  of 
Tartary  had  posting  stations  twenty-five  miles  apart  on  the 
principal  roads  of  his  empire.  A  messenger  or  traveler  car- 
ried a  paper  authorizing  him  to  procure  horses,  and  was 
always  promptly  supplied.  The  padaroshnia  is  of  ancient 
date,  if  Marco  be  trustworthy.  It  is  not  less  important  to  a 
Russian  traveler  at  present  than  to  a  Tartar  one  in  earlier 
times.  Our  documents  were  efficacious,  and  usually  brought 
horses  with  little  delay.  The  size  of  our  party  was  a  disad- 
vantage as  we  occasionally  found  one  or  two  sets  of  horses 
ready  but  were  obliged  to  wait  a  short  time  for  a  third.  Paul 
had  a  permit  to  impress  horses  in  the  villages  while  I  carried 
a  special  passport  requesting  the  authorities  to  '  lend  me  all 
needed  assistance.'  This  was  generally  construed  into  des- 
patching me  promptly,  and  we  rarely  failed  with  a  little 
persuasion  and  money,  to  secure  horses  for  the  third  sleigh. 

When  we  entered  the  stations  for  any  purpose  the  sleighs 
and  their  contents  remained  unguarded  in  the  streets,  but  we 
never  lost  anything  by  theft.  With  recollections  of  my  ex- 
perience at  stage  stations  in  America,  I  never  felt  quite  at 
ease  at  leaving  our  property  to  care  for  itself.  My  compan- 
ions assured  me  that  thefts  from  posting  vehicles  seldom  oc- 
cur although  the  country  numbers  many  convicts  among  its 
inhabitants.  The  native  Siberians  have  a  reputation  for  hon- 
esty, and  the  majority  of  the  exiles  for  minor  offences  lead 
correct  lives.  I  presume  that  wickedly  inclined  persons  in 
villages  are  deterred  from  stealing  on  account  of  the  proba- 
bility of  detection  and  punishment.    So  far  as  my  experience 


MONEY    FOR  DRINKS. 


449 


goes  the  inhabitants  of  Siberia  are  more  honest  that  those  of 
European  Russia.  In  Siberia  our  sleighs  required  no  watch- 
ing when  we  left  them.  After  passing  the  Ural  mountains  it 
was  necessary  to  hire  a  man  to  look  after  our  property  when 
we  breakfasted  and  dined. 

The  horses  being  the  property  of  the  station  we  paid  for 
them  at  every  change.  On  no  account  was  the  navodhi  or 
drink-money  to  the  driver  forgotten,  and  it  varied  according 
to  the  service  rendered.  If  the  driver  did  well  but  made  no 
special  exertion  we  gave  him  eight  or  ten  copecks,  and  in- 
creased the  amount  as  we  thought  he  deserved.  On  the  other 
hand  if  he  was  obstinate  and  unaccommodating  he  obtained 
nothing.  If  he  argued  that  the  regulations  required  only  a 
certain  speed  we  retorted  that  the  regulations  said  nothing 
about  drink-money.  In  general  we  found  the  yemshicks  oblig- 
ing and  fully  entitled  to  their  gratuities.  We  went  at  break- 
neck pace  where  the  roads  permitted,  and  frequently  where 
they  did  not.  A  travelers'  speed  depends  considerably  on 
the  drink-money  he  is  reported  to  have  given  on  the  previous 
stage.  If  illiberal  t#  a  good  driver  or  liberal  to  a  bad  one  he 
cannot  expect  rapid  progress. 

The  regulations  require  a  speed  of  ten  versts  (6  2-3  miles) 
per  hour  for  vehicles  not  on  government  service.  If  the  roads 
are  bad  the  driver  can  lessen  his  pace,  but  he  must  make  all 
proper  exertion  to  keep  up  to  the  schedule.  When  they  are 
good  and  the  driver  is  thirsty  (as  he  generally  is),  the  regu- 
lations are  not  heeded.  We  arranged  for  my  sleigh  to  lead, 
and  that  of  the  servants  to  bring  up  the  rear.  Whatever 
speed  we  went  the  others  were  morally  certain  to  follow,  and 
our  progress  was  frequently  exciting.  Money  was  potent, 
and  we  employed  it.  Fifteen  copecks  was  a  liberal  gratuity, 
and  twenty  bordered  on  the  munificent.  When  we  increased 
our  offer  to  twenty-five  or  thirty  it  was  pretty  certain  to  awa- 
ken enthusiasm.  Sometimes  the  pecuniary  argument  failed, 
and  obliged  us  to  proceed  at  the  legal  rate.  In  such  cases  we 
generally  turned  aside  and  placed  the  ladies  in  advance. 

We  made  twelve,  fourteen,  or  sixteen  versts  per  hour,  and 
29 


450     FAST   TRAVELING — FISTIC  DISCUSSIONS. 

on  one  occasion  I  held  my  watch,  and  found  that  we  traveled 
a  trifle  less  than  twenty-two  versts  or  about  fourteen  and  a 
half  miles  in  sixty  minutes.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  rode  in 
America  at  such  a  pace  (without  steam)  except  once  when  a 
horse  ran  away  with  me.  Ordinarily  we  traveled  faster  than 
the  rate  prescribed  by  regulation,  and  only  when  the  roads 
were  bad  did  we  fall  below  it.  We  studied  the  matter  of 
drink-money  till  it  became  an  exact  science. 

About  noon  on  the  first  day  from  Irkutsk  we  took  a  yem- 
shick  who  proved  sullen  in  the  highest  degree.  The  country 
was  gently  undulating,  and  the  road  superb  but  our  promises 
of  navodku  were  of  no  avail.  We  offered  and  entreated  in 
vain.  As  a  last  resort  we  shouted  in  French  to  the  ladies  and 
suggested  that  they  take  the  lead.  Our  yemshick  ordered  his 
comrade  to  keep  his  place,  and  refused  to  turn  aside  to  allow 
him  to  pass.  He  even  slackened  his  speed  and  drew  his 
horses  to  a  walk.  Our  stout-armed  garcon  took  a  position  on 
our  sleigh,  and  by  a  fistic  argument  succeeded  in  turning  us 
aside.  We  made  only  fair  progress,  and  were  glad  when  the 
drive  was  ended. 

When  we  began  our  rapid  traveling,  I  had  fears  that  the 
sleigh  would  go  to  pieces  in  consequence,  but  was  soon  con- 
vinced that  everything  was  lovely.  The  sport  was  exciting, 
and  greatly  relieved  the  monotony  of  travel.  We  were  so 
protected  by  furs,  pillows,  blankets,  and  hay,  that  our  jolting 
and  bounding  had  no  serious  result.  The  ladies  enjoyed  it 
as  much  as  ourselves,  and  were  not  at  all  inconvenienced  by 
any  ordinary  shaking.  Once  at  the  end  of  a  furious  ride  of 
twenty  versts,  I  found  the  madame  asleep  and  learned  that 
she  had  been  so  since  leaving  the  last  station. 

I  have  ridden  much  in  American  stage  coaches,  and  wit- 
nessed some  fine  driving  in  the  west  and  in  California.  But 
for  rapidity  and  dash,  commend  me  always  to  the  Siberian 
yemshicks. 


CHAPTEK  XXXIX. 


N  the  second  morning  we  stopped  at  Tulemsk  to  deliver 


several  boxes  that  encumbered  the  sleighs.  The  servants 
have  a  way  of  putting  small  articles,  and  sometimes  large 
ones,  in  the  forward  end  of  the  vehicle.  They  are  no  special 
annoyance  to  a  person  of  short  stature,  but  in  my  own  case  I 
was  not  reconciled  to  the  practice.  A  Russian  sleigh  is 
shaped  somewhat  like  a  laundry  smoothing-iron,  much  nar- 
rower forward  than  aft,  so  that  a  traveler  does  not  usually 
find  the  space  beneath  the  driver  a  world  too  wide  for  his 
shrunk  shanks. 

We  thawed  out  over  a  steaming  samovar  with  plenty  of 
hot  tea.  The  lady  of  the  house  brought  a  bottle  of  nalifka 
of  such  curious  though  agreeable  flavor  that  I  asked  of  what 
fruit  it  was  made.  "  Nothing  but  orange  peel,"  was  the  re- 
ply. Every  Siberian  housewife  considers  it  her  duty  to  pre- 
pare a  goodly  supply  of  nalifka  during  the  autumn.  A  glass 
jar  holding  two  or  three  gallons  is  filled  to  the  neck  witli  any 
kind  of  fruit  or  berries,  currants  and  gooseberries  being 
oftenest  used.  The  jar  is  then  filled  with  native  whisky, 
and  placed  in  a  southern  window  where  it  is  exposed  to  the 
sunlight  and  the  heat  of  the  room  for  ten  days.  The  whisky 
is  then  poured  off,  mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  water, 
placed  in  a  kettle  with  a  pound  of  sugar  to  each  gallon,  and 
boiled  for  a  few  minutes.  When  cooled  and  strained  it  is 
bottled  and  goes  to  the  cellar.  Many  Siberians  prefer  nalif- 
ka to  foreign  wines,  and  a  former  governor-general  attempt- 
ed to  make  it  fashionable.    He  eschewed  imported  wine  and 


(451) 


452 


CARAVANS   0F#  SLEDS. 


substituted  nalifka,  but  his  example  was  not  imitated  to  the 
extent  lie  desired. 

Our  halt  consumed  three  or  four  hours.  After  we  started 
an  unfortunate  pig  was  found  entangled  in  the  framework  of 
"my  sleigh,  and  before  we  could  let  him  out  he  was  pretty  well 
bruised  and  skaken  up.  How  he  came  there  we  were  puzzled 
to  know,  but  I  do  not  believe  he  ever  willingly  troubled  a 
sleigh  again. 

We  encountered  many  caravans  of  sleds  laden  with  merchan- 
dise. They  were  made  up  much  like  the  trains  I  described 
between  Kiachta  and  Lake  Baikal,  there  being  four  or  five 
sleds  to  each  man.  The  horses  generally  guided  themselves, 
and  followed  their  leaders  with  great  fidelity.  While  we  were 
stopping  to  make  some  repairs  near  the  foot  of  a  hill,  I  was 
interested  in  the  display  of  equine  intelligence.  As  a  cara- 
van reached  the  top  of  the  hill  each  horse  stopped  till  the  one 
preceding  him  had  descended.  Holding  back  as  if  restrained 
by  reins  he  walked  half  down  the  descent,  and  then  finished 
the  hill  and  crossed  the  hollow  below  it  at  a  trot.  One  after 
another  passed  in  this  manner  without  guidance,  exactly  as 
if  controlled  by  a  driver. 

I  noticed  that  the  horses  were  quite  skillful  in  selecting  the 
best  parts  of  the  road.  I  have  occasionally  seen  a  horse 
pause  when  there  were  three  or  four  tracks  through  the  snow, 
and  make  his  choice  with  apparent  deliberation.  I  recollect 
a  school  boy  composition  that  declared  in  its  first  sentence, 
4  the  horse  is  a  noble  animal,'  but  I  never  knew  until  I  trav- 
eled in  Siberia  how  much  he  is  entitled  to  a  patent  of  nobility. 

In  the  daytime  we  had  little  trouble  with  these  caravans, 
as  they  generally  gave  us  the  road  on  hearing  our  bells.  If 
the  way  was  wide  the  horses  usually  turned  aside  of  their 
own  accord  ;  where  it  was  narrow  they  were  unwilling  to  step 
in  the  snow,  and  did  not  until  directed  by  their  drivers.  If 
the  latter  were  dilatory  our  yemshicks  turned  aside  and 
revenged  themselves  by  lashing  some  of  the  sled  horses  and 
all  the  drivers  they  could  reach.  In  the  night  we  found  more 
difficulty  as  the  caravan  horses  desired  to  keep  the  road,  and 


HOW   THE   MAIL   IS  CARRIED. 


453 


their  drivers  were  generally  asleep.  We  were  bumped  against 
innumerable  sleds  in  the  hours  of  darkness.  The  outriggers 
alone  prevented  our  sleighs  going  to  pieces.  The  trains  go- 
ing eastward  carried  assorted  cargoes  of  merchandise  for 
Siberia  and  China.  Those  traveling  westward  were  generally 
loaded  with  tea  in  chests,  covered  with  cowhide.  The  amount 
of  traffic  over  the  principal  road  through  Siberia  is  very 
large. 

When  we  halted  for  dinne  I  brought  a  bottle  of  cham- 
pagne from  my  sleigh.  It  was  the  best  of  the  6  Cliquot ' 
brand  and  frozen  as  solid  as  a  block  of  ice.  It  stood  half  an 
hoar  in  a  warm  room  before  thawing  enough  to  drip  slowly 
into  our  glasses  and  was  the  most  perfect  champagne  frappe 
I  ever  saw.  A  bottle  of  cognac  was  a  great  deal  colder  than 
ordinary  ice,  and  when  we  brought  it  into  the  station  the 
moisture  in  the  warm  room  congealed  upon  it  to  the  thick- 
ness of  card-board.  After  this  display  I  doubted  the  exist- 
ance  of  latent  heat  in  alcohol. 

Just  as  we  finished  dinner  the  post  with  five  vehicles  was 
announced.  We  hastened  to  put  on  our  furs  and  sprang  into 
the  sleighs  with  the  least  possible  delay.  There  was  no  fear 
that  we  should  lose  the  first  and  second  set  of  horses,  but  the 
last  one  might  be  taken  for  the  post  as  the  ladies  had  only  a 
third-class  padaroshnia.  The  yemshicks  were  as  anxious  to 
escape  as  ourselves,  as  the  business  of  carrying  the  mail  does 
not  produce  navodka.  The  post  between  Irkutsk  and  Kras- 
noyarsk passes  twice  a  week  each  way,  and  we  frequently 
encountered  it.  Where  it  had  just  passed  a  station  there  was 
occasionally  a  scarcity  of  horses  that  delayed  us  till  village 
teams  were  brought. 

A  postillion  accompanies  each  convoy,  and  is  responsible 
for  its  security.  Travelers  sometimes  purchase  tickets  and 
have  their  vehicles  accompany  the  post,  but  in  so  doing  their 
patience  is  pretty  severely  taxed.  The  postillion  is  a  soldier 
or  other  government  employe,  and  must  be  armed  to  repel 
robbers.  One  of  these  conductors  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  who 
appeared  under  heavy  responsibility.    I  watched  him  loading 


CLOSE  QUARTERS. 


a  pistol  at  a  station  and  was  amused  at  his  ostentatious  man- 
ner.   When  the  operation  was  completed  he  fixed  the  weapon 
in  his  belt  and  swaggered  out  with  the  air  of  the  heavy  tra- 
gedian at  the  Old  Bowery.  Another 
=  postillion  stuck  around  with  pistols 
and  knives  looked  like  a  military 
museum  on  its  travels. 

From  our  dining  station  we  left 
the  main  road,  and  traveled  several 
versts  along  the  frozen  surface  of 
the  Birusa  river.  The  snow  lay  in 
ridges,  and  as  we  drove  rapidly  over 
them  ve  were  tossed  like  a  yawl  in 
a  hopping  sea.  It  was  a  foretaste 
of  what  was  in  store  for  me  at  later 
periods  of  my  journey.  The  Birusa 
is  rich  in  gold  deposits,  and  the  gov- 
ernment formerly  maintained  exten- 
sive mining  establishments  in  its 
valley. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  voted  to  take  tea. 
On  entering  the  station  I  found  the  floor  covered  with  a  dor- 
mant mass,  exhaling  an  odor  not  altogether  spicy.  I  bumped 
my  head  against  a  sort  of  wide  shelf  suspended  eighteen  or 
twenty  inches  from  the  ceiling,  and  sustaining  several 
sleepers. 

"  Here  "  said  Paul,  "  is  another  chambre  d  coucher  "  as  he 
attempted  to  pull  aside  a  curtain  at  the  top  of  the  brick  stove. 
A  female  head  and  shoulders  were  exposed  for  an  instant, 
until  a  stout  hand  grasped  and  retained  the  curtain.  The 
suspended  shelf  or  false  ceiling  is  quite  common  in  the  peas- 
ant houses,  and  especially  at  the  stations.  The  yemshicks 
and  other  attaches  of  the  concern  are  lodged  here  and  on  the 
floor,  beds  being  a  luxury  they  rarely  obtain.  Frequently  a 
small  house  would  be  as  densely  packed  as  the  steerage  of  a 
passenger  ship,  and  I  never  desired  to  linger  in  these  crowded 
apartments.    A  Russian  house  has  little  or  no  ventilation, 


\ 


A    SUDDEN  CHANGE. 


455 


and  the  effect  of  a  score  of  sleepers  on  the ''air  of  a  room  is 
6  better  imagined  than  described.' 

On  the  road  west  of  Irkutsk  the  rules  require  each  smot- 
retal  to  keep  ten  teams  or  thirty  horses,  ready  for  use.  Many 
of  them  have  more  than  that  number,  and  the  villages  can 
supply  any  ordinary  demand  after  the  regular  force  is  exhaust- 
ed. Fourteen  yemshicks  are  kept  at  every  station?  and  always 
ready  for  service.  They  are  boarded  at  the  expense  of  the 
smotretal,  and  receive  about  five  roubles  each  per  month,  with 
as  much  drink-money  as  they  can  obtain.  Frequently  they 
make  two  journeys  a  day  to  the  next  station,  returning  with- 
out loads.  They  appeared  on  the  most  amiable  terms  with 
each  other,  and  I  saw  no  quarreling  over  their  work. 

On  our  first  and  second  nights  from  Irkutsk  the  weather 
was  cold,  the  thermometer  standing  at  fifteen  or  twenty  de- 
grees below  zero.  On  the  third  day  the  temperature  rose 
quite  rapidly,  and  by  noon  it  was  just  below  the  freezing 
point.  Our  furs  designed  for  cold  weather  became  uncom- 
fortably warm,  and  I  threw  off  my  outer  garments  and  rode 
in  my  sheepskin  coat.  In  the  evening  we  experienced  a 
feeling  of  suffocation  on  closing  the  sleigh,  and  were  glad  to 
open  it  again.  We  rode  all  night  with  the  wind  beating 
pleasantly  against  our  faces,  and  from  time  to  time  lost  our 
consciousness  in  sleep.  For  nearly  two  days  the  warm 
weather  continued,  and  subjected  us  to  inconveniences.  We 
did  not  travel  as  rapidly  as  in  the  colder  days,  the  road  being 
less  favorable,  and  the  horses  diminishing  their  energy  with 
the  increased  warmth.  Some  of  our  provisions  were  in  dan- 
ger of  spoiling  as  they  were  designed  for  transportation  only 
in  a  frozen  state. 

Between  Nijne  Udinsk  and  Kansk  the  snow  was  scanty, 
and  the  road  occasionally  bad.  The  country  preserved  its 
slightly  undulating  character,  and  presented  no  features  of 
interest.  Where  we  found  sufficient  snow  we  proceeded  rap- 
idly, sometimes  leaving  the  summer  road  and  taking  to  the 
open  ground,  and  forests  on  either  side.  We  pitched  into  a 
great  many  oukhabas,  analagous  to  American"  hog  wallows" 


456 


STOPPING    AT  KANSK. 


or  u  cradle  holes."  To  dash  into  one  of  these  at  full  speed 
gives  a  shock  like  a  boat's  thumping  on  the  shore.    It  is  only 


.TrMriXCr  CRADLE  HOLES. 

with  pillows,  furs,  and  hay  that  a  traveler  can  escape  contu- 
sions. In  mild  doses  onkhabas  are  an  excellent  tonic,  but  the 
traveler  who  takes  them  in  excess  may  easily  imagine  him- 
self enjoying  a  field-day  at  Donnybrook  Fair. 

An  hour  before  reaching  Kansk  one  of  our  horses  fell  dead 
and  brought  us  to  a  sudden  halt.  The  yemshick  tried  vari- 
ous expedients  to  discover  signs  of  life  but  to  no  purpose. 
Paul  and  I  formed  a  board  of  survey,  and  sat  upon  the  beast ; 
the  other  sleighs  passed  us  during  our  consultation,  and  were 
very  soon  out  of  sight.  When  satisfied  that  the  animal,  as  a 
horse,  was  of  no  further  use,  the  yemshick  pulled  him  to  the 
roadside,  stripped  off  his  harness,  and  proceeded  with  our  re- 
duced team.  I  asked  who  was  responsible  for  the  loss,  and 
was  told  it  was  no  affair  of  ours.  The  government  pays  for 
horses  killed  in  the  service  of  couriers,  as  these  gentlemen 
compel  very  high  speed.  On  a  second  or  third  rate  padarosli- 
nian  the  death  of  a  horse  is  the  loss  of  its  owner.  Horses 
are  not  expensive  in  this  region,  an  ordinary  roadster  being 
worth  from  fifteen  to  twenty  roubles. 

Within  a  mile  of  Kansk  the  road  was  bare  of  snow,  and 
as  we  had  but  two  horses  to  our  sleigh  I  proposed  walking 
into  town.    We  passed  a  long  train  of  sleds  on  their  way  to 


STOPPING   AT  KANSK. 


457 


market  with  loads  of  wood  and  hay.  Tea  was  ready  for  us 
when  we  arrived  at  the  station,  and  we  were  equally  ready 
for  it.  After  my  fifth  cup  I  walked  through  the  public  square 
as  it  was  market  day,  and  the  people  were  in  the  midst  of 
traffic.  Fish,  meat,  hay,  wood,  and  a  great  quantity  of  mis- 
cellaneous articles  were  offered  for  sale.  In  general  terms 
the  market  was  a  sort  of  pocket  edition  of  the  one  at  Irkutsk. 
I  practiced  my  knowledge  of  Russian  in  purchasing  a  quantity 
of  rope  to  use  in  case  of  accidents.  Foreigners  were  not 
often  seen  there  if  I  may  judge  of  the  curiosity  with  which  I 
was  regarded. 

Kansk  is  a  town  of  about  three  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
stands  on  the  Kan,  a  tributary  of  the  Yenesei.  We  were 
told  there  was  little  snow  to  the  first  station,  and  were  advised 
to  take  live  horses  to  each  sleigh.  We  found  the  road  a  com- 
bination of  thin  snow  and  bare  ground,  the  latter  predominat- 
ing. We  proceeded  very  well,  the  yemshicks  maintaining  sub- 
lime indifference  to  the  character  of  the  track.  They  plied 
their  whips  vigorously  in  the  probable  expectation  of  drink- 
money.  The  one  on  my  sleigh  regaled  us  with  an  account 
of  the  perfectly  awful  condition  of  the  road  to  Krasnoyarsk. 

About  sunset  we  changed  horses,  thirty  versts  from  Kansk, 
and  found  no  cheering  prospect  ahead.  We  drowned  our 
sorrows  in  the  flowing  tea-cup,  and  fortified  ourselves  with  a 
large  amount  of  heat.  Tea  was  the  sovereign  remedy  for 
all  our  ills,  and  we  used  it  most  liberally.  We  set  out  with 
misgivings  and  promised  liberal  rewards  to  the  yemshicks,  if 
they  took  us  well  and  safely.  The  road  was  undeniably  bad, 
with  here  and  there  a  redeeming  streak  of  goodness.  Not- 
withstanding the  jolts  I  slept  pretty  well  during  the  night. 
In  the  morning  we  took  tea  fifty  versts  from  Krasnoyarsk, 
and  learned  there  was  absolutely  no  snow  for  the  last  thirty 
versts  before  reaching  the  city.  There  was  fortunately  a  good 
snow  road  to  the  intervening  village  where  we  must  change 
to  wheels.  Curiously  enough  the  snow  extended  up  to  the 
very  door  of  the  last  station,  and  utterly  disappeared  three 


458 


AN    ATROCIOUS  TEAM. 


feet  beyond.  Looking  one  way  we  saw  bare  earth,  while  in 
the  other  direction  there  was  a  good  road  for  sleighing. 

At  this  point  we  arranged  our  programme  over  the  inevit- 
able cakes  and  tea.  The  ladies  were  to  leave  their  vashok 
until  their  return  to  Irkutsk  ten  or  twelve  days  later.  The 
remaining  sleighs  were  unladen  and  mounted  upon  wheels. 
We  piled  our  baggage  into  telyagas  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  articles  that  remained  in  the  sleighs.  The  ladies  with 
their  maid  took  one  wagon,  while  Paul  and  myself  rode  in 
another,  the  man  servant  conveying  the  sleighs.  The  whole 
arrangement  was  promptly  effected  ;  the  villagers  scented  a 
job  on  our  arrival,  and  were  ready  for  proposals.  My  sleigh 
was  lifted  and  fastened  into  a  wagon  about  as  quickly  as  a 
hackman  would  arrange  a  trunk.  Place  aux  dames  toy  jours. 
We  sent  away  the  ladies  half  an  hour  in  advance  of  the  rest 
of  the  party. 

Our  telyaga  was  a  rickety  affair,  not  half  so  roomy  as  the 
sleigh,  but  as  the  ride  was  short  the  discomfort  was  of  little 
consequence.  We  had  four  ill  conditioned  steeds,  but  before 
we  had  gone  twenty  rods  one  of  the  brutes  persistently  faced 
about  and  attempted  to  come  inside  the  vehicle,  though  he 
did  not  succeed.  After  vain  efforts  to  set  him  right,  the  yem- 
shick  turned  him  loose,  and  he  bolted  homeward  contentedly. 

We  climbed  and  descended  a  long  hill  near  tlie  village  y 
and  then  found  a  level  country  quite  free  from  snow,  and  fur- 
nishing a  fine  road.  I  was  told  that  very  little  snow  falls 
within  twenty  miles  of  Krasnoyarsk,  and  that  it  is  generally 
necessary  to  use  wheels  there  in  the  winter  months.  The 
reason  was  not  explained  to  me,  but  probably  the  general 
configuration  of  the  country  is  much  like  that  near  Chetah. 
Krasnoyarsk  lies  on  the  Yenesei  which  has  a  northerly  course 
into  the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  mountains  bounding  the  valley 
are  not  lofty,  but  sufficiently  high  to  wring  the  moisture  from 
the  snow  clouds.  Both  above  and  below  Krasnoyarsk,  there 
is  but  little  snow  even  in  severe  seasons. 

Our  animals  were  superbly  atrocious,  and  made  good  speed 
only  on  descending  grades.    We  were  four  hours  going  thirty 


WASHING    CLOTHES   IN    WINTER.  459 

versts,  and  for  three-fourths  that  distance  our  route  was  equal 
to  the  Bloomingdale  Road.  Occasionally  we  saw  farm  houses 
with  a  dejected  appearance  as  if  the  winter  had  come  upon 
them  unawares.  From  the  quantity  of  ground  enclosed  by 
fences  I  judged  the  land  was  fertile,  and  well  cultivated. 

Toward  sunset  we  saw  the  domes  of  Krasnoyarsk  rising 
beyond  the  frozen  Yenesei.  We  crossed  the  river  on  the  ice, 
and  passed  near  several  women  engaged  in  rinsing  clothes. 

A  laundress  does  her  washing  at  the  house,  but  rinses  her 
linen  at  the  river.  In  summer  this  may  be  well  enough,  but 
it  seemed  to  me  that  the  winter  exercise  of  standing  in  a  keen 
wind  with  the  thermometer  below  zero,  and  rinsing  clothes 
in  a  hole  cut  through  the  ice  was  anything  but  agreeable.  It 
was  a  cold  day,  and  I  was  well  wrapped  in  furs,  but  these 
women  were  in  ordinary  clothing,  and  some  had  bare  legs. 
They  stood  at  the  edges  of  circular  holes  in  the  ice,  and  after 
6  swashing '  the  linen  a  short  time  in  the  water,  wrung  it  with 
their  purple  hands.  How  they  escaped  frost  bites  I  cannot 
imagine 

The  Yenesei  is  a  magnificent  river,  one  of  the  largest  in 
Siberia.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  with  accuro  y  any  distance 
upon  ice,  and  I  may  be  far  from  correct  in  considering  the 
Yenesei  a  thousand  yards  wide  at  Krasnoyarsk.  The  tele- 
graph wires  are  supported  on  tall  masts  as  at  the  crossing  of 
the  Missouri  near  Kansas  City.  In  summer  there  are  two 
steamboats  navigating  the  river  from  Yeneseiek  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  Rapids  and  shoals  below  Krasnoyarsk  prevent  their 
ascending  to  the  latter  town.  The  tributaries  of  the  Yenesei 
are  quite  rich  in  gold  deposits,  and  support  a  mining  business 
of  considerable  extent. 

Krasnoyarsk  derives  its  name  from  the  red  hills  in  its  vicin- 
ity, and  the  color  of  the  soil  where  it  stands.  It  is  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Yenesei,  and  has  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants. 

It  was  nearly  night  when  we  climbed  the  sloping  road  in 
the  hillside,  and  reached  the  level  of  the  plateau.  The  ladies 
insisted  that  we  should  occupy  their  house  during  our  stay, 
and  utterly  forbade  our  going  to  the  hotel.    While  walking 


460  A    SIBERIAN   BANKING  HOUSE. 

up  the  hill  the  captain  hailed  a  washerwoman,  and  asked  for 
the  residence  of  Madame  Rodstvenny.  Her  reply  was  so 
voluminous,  and  so  rapidly  given  that  my  friend  was  utterly 
bewildered,  and  comprehended  nothing.  To  his  astonish- 
ment I  told  him. that  I  understood  the  direction. 
"  (Test  impossible  "  he  declared. 

"  By  no  means,"  I  replied.  u  The  madame  lives  in  a  stone 
house  to  the  left  of  the  gastinni  dvor.  The  washerwoman 
said  so." 

Following  my  advice  we  found  the  house.  As  we  entered 
the  courtyard,  the  captain  begged  to  know  by  what  possibili- 
ty I  understood  in  his  own  language  what  he  could  not. 

I  explained  that  while  the  woman  spoke  so  glibly  I  caught 
the  words  "  doma,  kamen,  na  leva,  gastinni  dvor"  I  under- 
stood only  the  essential  part  of  her  instruction,  and  was  not 
confused  by  the  rest. 

I  was  somewhat  reluctant  to  convert  a  private  house  into 
a  hotel  as  I  expected  to  remain  four  or  five  days.  But  Sibe- 
rian hospitality  does  not  ^stop  at  trifles,  and  my  objections 
were  promptly  overruled.  After  toilet  and  dinner,  Paul  and 
I  were  parboiled  in  the  bath  house  of  the  establishment.  An 
able-bodied  moujik  scrubbed  me  so  thoroughly  as  to  suggest 
the  possibility  of  removing  the  cuticle. 

In  the  morning  I  went  to  the  bank  to  change  some  large 
bills  into  one-rouble  notes  for  use  on  the  road.  Horses  must 
be  paid  for  at  every  station,  and  it  is  therefore  desirable  to 
carry  the  smallest  notes  with  abundance  of  silver  and  copper 
to  make  change.  The  bank  was  much  like  institutions  of  its 
class  elsewhere,  and  transacted  my  business  promptly.  The 
banks  in  Siberia  are  branches  of  the  Imperial  Bank  at  St. 
Petersburg.  They  receive  deposits,  and  negotiate  exchanges 
and  remittances  just  like  private  banks,  but  do  not  undertake 
risky  business.  The  officers  are  servants  of  the  government, 
and  receive  their  instructions  from  the  parent  bank. 

My  finances  arranged,  I  went  to  the  telegraph  office  to  send 
a  message  to  a  friend.  My  despatch  was  written  in  Russian, 
and  I  paid  for  message  and  response.    A  receipt  was  given 


THE   TELEGRAPH   AT  KRASNOYARSK.  461 

me  stating  the  day,  hour,  and  minute  of  filing  the  despatch, 
its  destination,  address,  length,  and  amount  paid.  When  I 
received  the  response  I  found  a  statement  of  the  exact  time 
it  was  filed  for  transmission,  and  also  of  its  reception  at 
Krasnoyarsk.  This  is  the  ordinary  routine  of  the  Russian 
telegraph  system.  I  commend  it  to  the  notice  of  interested 
persons  in  America. 

There  is  no  free  telegraphing  on  the  government  lines, 
every  despatch  over  the  wires  being  paid  for  by  somebody. 
If  on  government  business  the  sender  pays  the  regular  tariff 
and  is  reimbursed  from  the  treasury.  I  was  told  that  the 
officers  of  the  telegraph  paid  for  their  own  family  messages, 
but  had  the  privilege  of  conversing  on  the  lines  free  of  charge. 
High  position  does  not  confer  immunity.  When  the  Czare- 
vitch was  married,  General  Korsackoff  sent  his  congratula- 
tions by  telegraph,  and  received  a  response  from  the  Emperor. 
Both  messages  were  paid  for  by  the  sender  without  reduction 
or  trust. 

I  found  the  general  features  of  Krasnoyarsk  much  like 
those  of  Irkutsk.  Official  and  civilian  inhabitants  dressed, 
lived,  walked,  breathed,  drank,  and  gambled  like  their  kin- 
dred nearer  the  east.  It  happened  to  be  market  day,  and  the 
public  square  was  densely  crowded.  I  was  interested  in  ob- 
serving the  character  and  abundance  of  the  fish  offered  for 
sale.  Among  those  with  a  familiar  appearance  were  the 
sturgeon,  perch,  and  pike,  and  a  small  fish  resembling  our 
ale  wife.  There  was  a  fish  unknown  to  me,  with  a  long  snout 
like  a  duck's  bill,  and  a  body  on  the  extreme  clipper  model. 
All  these  fish  are  from  the  Yenesei,  some  dwelling  there  per- 
manently while  others  ascend  annually  from  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
All  in  the  market  were  frozen  solid,  and  the  larger  ones  were 
piled  up  like  cord-wood. 

From  the  bank  overlooking  the  river  there  is  a  fine  view 
of  the  valley  of  the  Yenesei.  There  are  several  islands  in 
the  vicinity,  and  I  was  told  that  in  the  season  of  floods  the 
stream  has  a  very  swift  current.  It  is  no  easy  work  to  ferry 
across  it,  and  the  boats  generally  descend  a  mile  or  two  while 


462 


A    SIBERIAN  NEPTUNE. 


paddling  over.  A  few  years  ago  a  resident  of  Krasnoyarsk 
made  a  remarkable  voyage  on  this  river.    He  had  been  at- 


as  to  reach  the  ferry  about  day-  valley  of  the  yenesei. 
break.  His  equipage  was  a  wood- 
en telyaga  drawn  by  two  powerful  horses.  Having  partaken 
of  the  cup  that  inebriates,  the  man  fell  asleep  and  allowed  his 
horses  to  take  their  own  course.  Knowing  the  way  perfectly 
they  came  without  accident  to  the  ferry  landing,  their  owner 
still  wrapped  in  his  drunken  slumber. 

The  boat  was  on  the  other  side,  and  the  horses,  no  doubt 
hungry  and  impatient,  plunged  in  to  swim  across.  The  tel- 
yaga filled  with  water,  but  had  sufficient  buoyancy  not  to 
sink.  The  cold  bath  waked  and  sobered  the  involuntary  voy- 
ager when  about  half  way  over  the  river.  He  had  the  good 
sense,  aided  by  fright,  to  remain  perfectly  still,  and  was  land- 
ed in  safety.  Those  who  saw  him  coming  in  the  early  dawn 
were  struck  with  astonishment,  and  one,  at  least,  imagined 
that  he  beheld  Neptune  in  his  marine  chariot  breasting  the 
waters  of  the  Yenesei. 


STARTING    ON    A    WOLF  HUNT. 


463 


My  informant  vouched  for  the  correctness  of  the  stoiy,  and 
gave  it  as  an  illustration  of  the  courage  and  endurance  of 
Siberian  horses.  According  to  the  statement  of  the  condition 
of  the  river,  the  beasts  could  have  as  easily  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi at  Memphis  in  an  ordinary  stage  of  water. 

Wolves  are  abundant  in  the  valley  of  the  Yenesei,  though 
they  are  not  generally  dangerous  to  men.  An  officer  whom 
I  met  there  told  me  they  were  less  troublesome  than  in  Poland, 
and  he  related  his  experience  with  them  in  the  latter  country 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  family  of  a  young  lady  to  whom  he 
was  betrothed.  I  give  his  story  as  nearly  as  possible  in  his 
own  words. 

"  One  day  my  friend  Rasloff  proposed  a  wolf  hunt.  We 
selected  the  best  horses  from  his  stable  ;  fine,  quick,  sure- 
footed beasts,  with  a  driver  who  was  unsurpassed  in  all  that 
region  for  his  skill  and  dash.  The  sleigh  was  a  large  one, 
and  we  fitted  it  with  a  good  supply  of  robes  and  straw,  and 
put  a  healthy  young  pig  in  it  to  serve  as  a  decoy.  We  each 
had  a  gun,  and  carried  a  couple  of  spare  guns,  with  plenty 
of  ammunition,  so  that  we  could  kill  as  many  wolves  as  pre- 
sented themselves. 

"  Just  as  we  were  preparing  to  start,  Christina  asked  to  ac- 
company us.  I  suggested  the  coldness  of  the  night,  and 
Rasloff  hinted  that  the  sleigh  was  too  small  for  three.  But 
Christina  protested  that  the  air,  though  sharp,  was  clear  and 
still,  and  she  could  wrap  herself  warmly ;  a  ride  of  a  few 
hours  would  do  her  more  good  than  harm.  The  sleigh,  she 
insisted,  was  a  large  one,  and  afforded  ample  room.  '  Be- 
sides,' she  added,  '  I  will  sit  directly  behind  the  driver,  and 
out  of  your  way,  and  I  want  to  see  a  wolf-hunt  very  much  in- 
deed.' 

"  So  we  consented.  Christina  arrayed  herself  in  a  few 
moments,  and  we  started  on  our  excursion. 

"  The  servants  were  instructed  to  hang  out  a  light  in  front 
of  the  entrance  to  the  courtyard.  It  was  about  sunset  when 
we  left  the  chateau  and  drove  out  upon  the  plain,  covered 
here  and  there  with  patches  of  forest.    The  road  we  followed 


464 


ROUGH    ON    THE  PIG. 


was  well  trodden  by  the  many  peasants  on  their  way  to  the 
fair  at  the  town,  twenty-five  miles  away.  We  traveled  slow- 
ly, not  wishing  to  tire  our  horses,  and,  as  we  left  the  half 
dozen  villages  that  clustered  around  the  chateau,  we  had  the 
road  entirely  to  ourselves.  The  moon  rose  soon  after  sunset, 
and  as  it  was  at  the  full,  it  lighted  up  the  plain  very  clearly, 
and  seemed  to  stand  out  quite  distinct  from  the  deep  blue  sky 
and  the  bright  stars  that  sparkled  everywhere  above  the  hori- 
zon. We  chatted  gayly  as  we  rode  along.  The  time  passed 
so  rapidly  that  I  was  half  surprised  when  Rasloff  told  me  to 
get  ready  to  hunt  wolves. 

"  The  pig  had  been  lying  very  comfortably  in  the  bottom 
of  the  sleigh,  and  protested  quite  loudly  as  we  brought  him 
out.  The  rope  had  been  made  ready  before  Ave  started  from 
home,  and  so  the  most  we  had  to  do  was  to  turn  the  horses 
around,  get  our  guns  ready,  and  throw  the  pig  upon  the 
ground.  He  set  up  a  piercing  shriek  as  the  rope  dragged  him 
along,  and  completely  drowned  our  voices.  Paul  had  hard 
work  to  keep  the  horses  from  breaking  into  a  run,  but  he  suc- 
ceeded, and  we  maintained  a  very  slow  trot.  Christina  nes- 
tled in  the  place  she  had  agreed  to  occupy,  and  Rasloff  and 
I  prepared  to  shoot  the  wolves. 

"  We  drove  thus  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes.  The  pig 
gradually  became  exhausted,  and  reduced  his  scream  to  a  sort 
of  moan  that  was  very  painful  to  hear.  I  began  to  think  we 
should  see  no  wolves,  and  return  to  the  chateau  without  firing 
our  guns,  when  suddenly  a  howl  came  faintly  along  the  air, 
and  in  a  moment,  another  and  another. 

"  '  There,'  said  Rasloff ;  i  there  comes  our  game,  and  we 
shall  have  work  enough  before  long.' 

"  A  few  moments  later  I  saw  a  half  dozen  dusky  forms 
emerging  from  the  forest  to  the  right  and  behind  us.  They 
seemed  like  moving  spots  on  the  snow,  and  had  it  not  beem 
for  their  howling  I  should  have  failed  to  notice  them  as  early 
as  I  did.  They  grew  more  and  more  numerous,  and,  as  they 
gathered  behind  us,  formed  a  waving  line  across  the  road 
that  gradually  took  the  shape  of  a  crescent,  with  the  horns 


RAPID    WORK    WITH  SHOT-GUNS. 


465 


pointing  toward  our  right  and  left.  At  first  they  were  timid, 
and  kept  a  hundred  yards  or  more  behind  us,  but  as  the  hog 
renewed  his  scream,  they  took  courage,  and  approached 
nearer. 

"  By  the  time  they  were  within  fifty  yards  there  were  two 
or  three  hundred  of  them — possibly  half  a  thousand.  I 
could  see  every  moment  that  their  numbers  were  increasing, 
and  it  was  somewhat  impatiently  that  I  waited  RaslofF's  sig- 
nal to  fire.  At  last  he  told  me  to  begin,  and  I  fired  at  the 
center  of  the  pack.  The  wolf  I  struck  gave  a  howl  of  pain, 
and  his  companions,  roused  by  the  smell  of  blood,  fell  upon 
and  tore  him  to  pieces  in  a  moment.  Rasloff  fired  an  in- 
stant after  me,  and  then  we  kept  up  our  firing  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible. As  the  wolves  fell,  the  others  sprung  upon  them,  but 
the  pack  was  so  large  that  they  were  not  materially  detained 
by  stopping  to  eat  up  their  brethren.  They  continued  the 
pursuit,  and  what  alarmed  me,  they  came  nearer,  and  showed 
very  little  fear  of  our  guns. 

"  We  had  taken  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition — more  by 
half  than  we  thought  would  possibly  be  needed — but  its  quan- 
tity diminished  so  rapidly  as  to  suggest  the  probability  of  ex- 
haustion. The  pack  steadily  came  nearer.  We  cut  away 
the  pig,  but  it  stopped  the  pursuit  only  for  a  moment.  Di- 
rectly behind  us  the  wolves  were  not  ten  yards  away  ;  on 
each  side  they  were  no  further  from  the  horses,  who  were 
snorting  with  fear,  and  requiring  all  the  efforts  of  the  driver 
to  hold  them.  We  shot  down  the  beasts  as  fast  as  possible, 
and  as  I  saw  our  danger  I  whispered  my  thoughts  to  Rasloff. 

"  He  replied  to  me  in  Spanish,  which  Christina  did  not  un- 
derstand, that  the  situation  was  really  dangerous,  and  we 
must  prepare  to  get  out  of  it.  6 1  would  stay  longer,'  he  sug- 
gested, '  though  there  is  a  good  deal  of  risk  in  it ;  but  we 
must  think  of  the  girl,  and  not  let  her  suspect  anything 
wrong,  and,  above  all,  must  not  risk  her  safety.' 

"  Turning  to  the  driver,  he  said,  in  a  cheery  tone : 

"  '  Paul,  we  have  shot  till  we  are  tired  out.    You  may  let 
the  horses  go,  but  keep  them  well  in  control.' 
30 


466 


A    TERRIBLE  MOMENT. 


"  While  he  spoke  a  huge  wolf  sprang  from  the  pack  and 
dashed  toward  one  of  the  horses.  Another  followed  him, 
and  in  twenty  seconds  the  line  was  broken  and  they  were 
upon  us.  One  wolf  jumped  at  the  rear  of  the  sleigh  and 
caught  his  paws  upon  it.  Rasloff  struck  him  with  the  butt 
of  his  gun,  and  at  the  same  instant  he  delivered  the  blow, 
Paul  let  the  horses  have  their  way.  Rasloff  fell  upon  the 
edge  of  the  vehicle  and  over  its  side.  Luckily,  his  foot 
caught  in  one  of  the  robes  and  held  him  for  an  instant — long 
enough  to  enable  me  to  seize  and  draw  him  back.  It  was  the 
work  of  a  moment,  but  what  a  moment ! 

"  Christina  had  remained  silent,  suspecting,  but  not  fully 
comprehending  our  danger.  As  her  brother  fell  she  screamed 
and  dropped  senseless  to  the  bottom  of  the  sleigh.  I  confess 
that  I  exerted  all  my  strength  in  that  effort  to  save  the 
brother  of  my  affianced,  and  as  I  accomplished  it,  I  sank 
powerless,  though  still  conscious,  at  the  side  of  the  girl  I 
loved.  Rasloff's  right  arm  was  dislocated  by  the  fall,  and 
one  of  the  pursuing  wolves  had  struck  his  teeth  into  his 
scalp  as  he  was  dragging  over  the  side,  and  torn  it  so  that  it 
bled  profusely.    How  narrow  had  been  his  escape  ! 

"  '  Faster,  faster,  Paul ! '  he  shouted  ;  <  drive  for  your  life 
and  for  ours.' 

"  Paul  gave  the  horses  free  rein,  and  they  needed  no  urg- 
ing. They  dashed  along  the  road  as  horses  rarely  ever  dash- 
ed before.  In  a  few  minutes  I  gained  strength  enough  to 
raise  my  head,  and  saw,  to  my  unspeakable  delight,  that  the 
distance  between  us  and  the  pack  was  increasing.  We  were 
safe  if  no  accident  occurred  and  the  horses  could  maintain 
their  pace. 

"  One  horse  fell,  but,  as  if  knowing  his  danger,  made  a 
tremendous  effort  and  gained  his  feet.  By-and-by  we  saw  the 
light  at  the  chateau,  and  in  a  moment  dashed  into  the  court- 
yard, and  were  safe." 


CHAPTER  XL. 


I FOUND  at  Krasnoyarsk  more  beggars  than  in  Irkutsk, 
in  proportion  to  the  population.  Like  beggars  in  all 
parts  of  the  empire,  they  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  re- 
ceiving donations.  A  few  were  young,  but  the  great  majority 
were  old,  tattered,  and  decrepid,  who  shivered  in  the  frosty 
air,  and  turned  purple  visages  upon  their  benefactors.  The 
peasantry  in  Russia  are  liberal  to  the  poor,  and  in  many  lo- 
calities they  have  abundant  opportunities  to  practice  charity. 

With  its  abundance  of  beggars  Krasnoyarsk  can  also  boast 
a  great  many  wealthy  citizens.  The  day  before  my  depar- 
ture one  of  these  Siberian  Croesuses  died,  and  another  was 
expected  to  follow  his  example  before  long.  A  church  near 
the  market  place  was  built  at  the  sole  expense  of  this  de- 
ceased individual.  Its  cost  exceeded  seven  hundred  thousand 
roubles,  and  its  interior  was  said  to  be  finely  decorated. 
Among  the  middle  classes  in  Siberia  the  erection  of  churches 
is,  or  has  been,  the  fashionable  mode  of  public  benefaction. 
The  endowment  of  schools,  libraries,  and  scientific  associa- 
tions has  commenced,  but  is  not  yet  fully  popular. 

The  wealth  of  Krasnoyarsk  is  chiefly  derived  from  gold 
digging.  The  city  may  be  considered  the  center  of  mining 
enterprises  in  the  government  of  Yeneseisk.  Two  or  three 
thousand  laborers  in  the  gold  mines  spend  the  winter  at  Kras- 
noyarsk, and  add  to  the  volume  of  local  commerce.  The 
town  of  Yeneseisk,  three  hundred  versts  further  north,  hiber- 
nates an  equal  number,  and  many  hundreds  are  scattered 
through  the  villages  in  the  vicinity.  The  mining  season  be- 
gins in  May  and  ends  in  September.    In  March  and  April  the 

(467) 


468 


PREPARING    THE  GROUND. 


clerks  and  superintendents  engage  their  laborers,  paying  a 
part  of  their  wages  in  advance.  The  wages  are  not  high,  and 
only  those  in  straitened  circumstances,  the  dissolute,  and 
profligate,  who  have  no  homes  of  their  own,  are  inclined  to 
let  themselves  to  labor  in  gold  mines. 

Many  works  are  extensive,  and  employ  a  thousand  or  more 
laborers  each.  The  government  grants  mining  privileges  to 
individuals  on  certain  conditions.  The  land  granted  must  be 
worked  at  least  one  year  out  of  every  three,  else  the  title  re- 
verts to  the  government,  and  can  be  allotted  again.  The 
grantee  must  be  either  a  hereditary  nobleman  or  pay  the  tax 
of  a  merchant  of  the  second  guild,  or  he  should  be  able  to 
command  the  necessary  capital  for  the  enterprise  he  under- 
takes. His  title  holds  good  until  his  claim  is  worked  out  or 
abandoned,  and  no  one  can  disturb  him  on  any  pretext.  He 
receives  a  patent  for  a  strip  of  land  seven  versts  long  and  a 
hundred  fathoms  wide,  on  the  banks  of  a  stream  suitable  for 
mining  purposes.  The  claim  extends  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream,  and  includes  its  bed,  so  that  the  water  may  be  utiliz- 
ed at  the  will  of  the  miner. 

Sometimes  the  grantee  desires  a  width  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred fathoms,  but  in  such  case  the  length  of  his  claim  is 
shortened  in  proportion. 

It  requires  a  large  capital  to  open  a  claim  after  the  grant 
is  obtained.  The  location  is  often  far  from  any  city  or  large 
town,  where  supplies  are  purchased.  Transportation  is  a 
heavy  item,  as  the  roads  are  difficult  to  travel.  Sometimes  a 
hundred  thousand  roubles  will  be  expended  in  supplies,  trans- 
portation, buildings,  and  machinery,  before  the  work  begins. 
Then  men  must  be  hired,  taken  to  the  mines,  clothed,  and 
furnished  with  proper  quarters.  The  proprietor  must  have 
at  hand  a  sufficient  amount  of  provisions,  medical  stores, 
clothing,  and  miscellaneous  goods  to  supply  his  men  during 
the  summer.  Everything  desired  by  the  laborer  is  sold  to 
him  at  a  lower  price  than  he  could  buy  elsewhere,  at  least 
such  is  the  theory.  I  was  told  that  the  mining  proprietors 
make  no  profits  from  their  workmen,  but  simply  add  the  cost 


TREATMENT   OP   THE   GOLD   MINERS.  469 

of  transportation  to  the  wholesale  price  of  the  merchandise. 
The  men  are  allowed  to  anticipate  their  wages  by  purchase, 
and  it  often  happens  that  there  is  very  little  due  them  at  the 
end  of  the  season. 

Government  regulations  and  the  interest  of  proprietors  re- 
quire that  the  laborers  should  be  well  fed  and  housed  and 
tended  during  sickness.  Every  mining  establishment  main- 
tains a  physician  either  on  its  own  account  or  jointly  with  a 
neighbor.  The  national  dish  of  Russia,  scJiee,  is  served  daily, 
with  at  least  a  pound  of  beef.  Sometimes  the  treatment  of 
the  men  lapses  into  negligence  toward  the  close  of  the  season, 
especially  if  the  enterprise  is  unfortunate  ;  but  this  is  not  the 
case  in  the  early  months.  The  mining  proprietors  under- 
stand the  importance  of  keeping  their  laborers  in  good  health, 
and  to  secure  this  end  there  is  nothing  better  than  proper 
food  and  lodging.  Yodki  is  dealt  out  in  quantities  sufficient- 
ly small  to  prevent  intoxication,  except  on  certain  feast-days, 
when  all  can  get  drunk  to  their  liking.  No  drinking  shops 
can  be  kept  on  the  premises  until  the  season's  work  is  over 
and  the  men  are  preparing  to  depart. 

Every  laborer  is  paid  for  extra  work,  and  if  industrious 
and  prudent  his  wages  will  equal  thirty-five  or  forty  roubles 
a  month  beside  his  board.  While  in  debt  he  is  required  by 
law  to  work  every  day,  not  even  resting  on  Saints'  days  or 
Sundays.  The  working  season  lasting  only  about  four  months, 
early  and  late  hours  are  a  necessity.  When  the  year's  ope- 
rations are  ended  the  most  of  the  men  find  their  way  to  the 
larger  towns,  where  they  generally  waste  their  substance  in 
riotous  living  till  the  return  of  spring.  As  in  mining  com- 
munities everywhere,  the  prudent  and  economical  are  a  mi- 
nority. 

The  mines  in  the  government  of  Yeneseisk  are  generally 
on  the  tributaries  of  the  Yenesei  river.  The  valley  of  the 
Pit  is  rich  in  gold  deposits,  and  has  yielded  large  fortunes  to 
lucky  operators  during  the  past  twenty  years.  Usually  the 
pay-dirt  begins  twenty  or  thirty  feet  below  the  surface,  and  I 
heard  of  a  mine  that  yielded  handsome  profits  though  the 


470 


MINES    IN  YENESEISK. 


gold-bearing  earth  was  under  seventy  feet  of  soil.  Prospect- 
ing is  conducted  with  great  care,  and  no  mining  enterprise  is 
commenced  without  a  thorough  survey  of  the  region  to  be 
developed.  Wells  or  pits  are  dug  at  regular  intervals,  the 
exact  depth  and  the  character  of  the  upper  earth  being  noted. 
This  often  involves  a  large  expenditure  of  money  and  labor, 
and  many  fortunes  have  been  wasted,  by  parties  whose  lucky 
star  was  not  in  the  ascendant,  in  their  persistent  yet  unsuc- 
cessful search  for  paying  mines. 

Solid  rock  is  sometimes  struck  sooner  or  later  after  com- 
mencing work,  which  renders  the  expense  of  digging  vastly 
greater.  In  such  cases,  unless  great  certainty  exists  of  strik- 
ing a  rich  vein  of  gold  beneath,  the  labor  is  suspended,  the 
spot  vacated,  and  another  selected  with  perhaps  like  results. 

Occasionally  some  sanguine  operator  will  push  his  well 
down  through  fifty  feet  of  solid  rock  at  a  great  outlay,  and 
-  with  vast  labor,  to  find  himself  possessed  of  the  means  for  a 
large  fortune,  while  another  will  find  himself  ruined  by  his 
failure  to  strike  the  expected  gold. 

When  the  pay-dirt  is  reached,  its  depth  and  the  number  of 
zolotniks  of  gold  in  every  pood  taken  out  are  ascertained. 
With  the  results  before  him  a  practical  miner  can  readily  de- 
cide whether  a  place  will  pay  for  working.  Of  course  he 
must  take  many  contingent  facts  into  consideration,  such  as 
the  extent  of  the  placer,  the  resources  of  the  region,  the  roads 
or  the  expense  of  making  them,  provisions,  lumber,  transpor- 
tation, horses,  tools,  men,  and  so  on  through  a  long  list. 

The  earth  over  the  pay-dirt  is  broken  up  and  carted  off ; 
its  great  depth  causes  immense  wear  of  horseflesh.  A  small 
mine  employs  three  or  four  hundred  workmen,  and  larger 
ones  in  proportion.  I  heard  of  one  that  kept  more  than  three 
thousand  men  at  work.  The  usual  estimate  for  horses  is  one 
to  every  two  men,  but  the  proportion  varies  according  to  the 
character  of  the  mine. 

The  pay-dirt  is  hauled  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  it  is 
washed  in  machines  turned  by  water  power.  Various  ma- 
chines have  been  devised  for  gold-washing,  and  the  Russians 


MINING   IN   FROZEN  EARTH. 


471 


are  anxious  to  find  the  best  invention  of  the  kind.  The  one 
in  most  general  use  and  the  easiest  to  construct  is  a  long 
cylinder  of  sheet  iron  open  at  both  ends  and  perforated  with 
many  small  holes.  This  revolves  in  a  slightly  inclined  posi- 
tion, and  receives  the  dirt  and  a  stream  of  water  at  the  upper 
end.  The  stones  pass  through  the  cylinder  and  fall  from  the 
opposite  end,  where  they  are  examined  to  prevent  the  loss  of 
6  nuggets.'  Fine  dirt,  sand,  gold,  and  water  pass  through  the 
perforations,  and  are  caught  in  suitable  troughs,  where  the 
lighter  substance  washes  away  and  leaves  the  black  sand  and 
gold. 

Great  care  is  exercised  to  prevent  thefts,  but  it  does  not 
always  succeed.  The  laborers  manage  to  purloin  small  quan- 
tities, which  they  sell  to  contraband  dealers  in  the  larger 
towns.  The  government  forbids  private  traffic  in  gold  dust, 
and  punishes  offences  with  severity  ;  but  the  profits  are  large 
and  tempting.  Every  gold  miner  must  send  the  product  of 
his  diggings  to  the  government  establishment  at  Barnaool, 
where  it  is  smelted  and  assayed.  The  owner  receives  its 
money  value,  minus  the  Imperial  tax  of  fifteen  per  cent. 

The  whole  valley  of  the  Yenesei,  as  far  as  explored,  is  au- 
riferous. Were  it  not  for  the  extreme  rigor  of  its  climate 
and  the  disadvantages  of  location,  it  would  become  immense- 
ly productive.  Some  mines  have  been  worked  at  a  profit 
where  the  earth  is  solidly  frozen  and  must  be  thawed  by  arti- 
ficial means.  One  way  of  accomplishing  this  is  by  piling 
wood  to  a  height  of  three  or  four  feet  and  then  setting  it  on 
fire.  The  earth  thawed  by  the  heat  is  scraped  off,  and  fresh 
fires  are  made.  Sometimes  the  frozen  earth  is  dug  up  and 
soaked  in  water.  Either  process  is  costly,  and  the  yield  of 
gold  must  be  great  to  repay  the  outlay.  A  gentleman  in  Ir- 
kutsk told  me  he  had  a  gold  mine  of  this  frozen  character, 
and  intimated  that  he  found  it  profitable.  The  richest  gold 
mines  thus  far  worked  in  Siberia  are  in  the  government  of 
Yeneseisk,  but  it  is  thought  that  some  of  the  newly  opened 
placers  in  the  Trans-Baikal  province  and  along  the  Amoor 
will  rival  them  in  productiveness. 


472 


GOLD-BEARING  QUARTZ. 


In  Irkutsk  I  met  a  Russian  who  had  spent  some  months  in 
California,  and  proposed  introducing  hydraulic  mining  to  the 
Siberians.    No  quartz  mines  have  been  worked  in  Eastern 


I  saw  excellent 
specimens  of  gold-bearing  quartz  from  the  governments  of 
Irkutsk  and  Yeneseisk.  One  specimen  in  particular,  if  in 
the  hands  of  certain  New  York  operators,  would  be  sufficient 


THE    SIBERIAN  TARTARS. 


473 


basis  for  a  company  with  a  capital  of  half  a  million.  In  the 
Altai  and  Ural  mountains  quartz  mills  have  been  in  use  for 
many  years. 

The  Siberian  gold  deposits  were  made  available  long  before 
Russia  explored  and  conquered  Northern  Asia.  There  are 
many  evidences  in  the  Ural  mountains  of  extensive  mining 
operations  hundreds  of  years  ago.  Large  areas  have  been 
dug  over  by  a  people  of  whom  the  present  inhabitants  can 
give  no  account.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  Tartars 
discovered  and  opened  these  gold  mines  shortly  after  the  time 
of  Genghis  Khan. 

The  native  population  of  the  valley  of  the  Yenesei  com- 
prises several  distinct  tribes,  belonging  in  common  to  the 
great  Mongolian  race.  In  the  extreme  north,  in  the  region 
bordering  the  Arctic  Ocean,  are  the  Samoyedes,  who  are  of 
the  same  blood  as  the  Turks.  The  valley  of  the  Lena  is  peo- 
pled by  Yakuts,  whose  development  far  exceeds  that  of  the 
Samoyedes,  though  both  are  of  common  origin.  The  latter 
are  devoted  entirely  to  the  chase  and  the  rearing  of  reindeer, 
and  show  no  fondness  for  steady  labor.  The  Yakuts  employ 
the  horse  as  a  beast  of  burden,  and  are  industrious,  ingen- 
ious, and  patient.  As  much  as  the  character  of  the  country 
permits  they  till  the  soil,  and  are  not  inclined  to  nomadic  life. 
They  are  hardy  and  reliable  laborers,  and  live  on  the  most 
amicable  terms  with  the  Russians. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  Amoor  the  carrying  trade  from 
Yakutsk  to  Ohotsk  was  in  their  hands.  As  many  as  forty 
thousand  horses  used  to  pass  annually  between  the  two  points, 
nearly  all  of  them  owned  and  driven  by  Yakuts. 

Most  of  these  natives  have  been  converted  to  Christianity, 
but  they  still  adhere  to  some  of  their  ancient  practices.  On 
the  road,  for  example,  they  pluck  hairs  from  their  horse's 
tails  and  hang  them  upon  trees  to  appease  evil  spirits.  Some 
of  the  Russians  have  imbibed  native  superstitions,  and  there 
is  a  story  of  a  priest  who  applied  to  a  shaman  to  practice  his 
arts  and  ward  off  evil  in  a  journey  he  was  about  to  make. 
Examples  to  the  natives  are  not  always  of  the  best,  and  it 


474 


AN    EASTERN  LEGEND. 


would  not  be  surprising  if  they  raised  doubts  as  to  the  supe- 
riority of  Christian  faith.  A  traveler  who  had  a  mixed  party 
of  Cossacks  and  natives,  relates  that  the  former  were  accus- 
tomed to  say  their  prayers  three  or  four  times  on  evenings 
when  they  had  plenty  of  leisure  and  omit  them  altogether 
when  they  were  fatigued.  At  Nijne  Kolymsk  Captain  Wran- 
gell  found  the  priests  holding  service  three  times  on  one  Sun- 
day and  then  absenting  themselves  for  two  weeks. 

South  of  Krasnoyarsk  are  the  natives  belonging  to  the 
somewhat  indefinite  family  known  as  Tartars.  They  came 
originally  from  Central  Asia,  and  preserve  many  Mongol  hab- 
its added  to  some  created  by  present  circumstances.  Some 
of  them  dwell  in  houses,  while  others  adhere  to  yourts  of  the 
same  form  and  material  as  those  of  the  Bouriats  and  Mon- 
gols. They  are  agriculturists  in  a  small  way,  but  only  adopt 
tilling  the  soil  as  a  last  resort.  Their  wealth  consists  in 
sheep,  cattle,  and  horses,  and  when  one  of  them  has  large 
possessions  he  changes  his  habitation  two  or  three  times  a 
year,  on  account  of  pasturage.  A  gentleman  told  me  that  he 
once  found  a  Tartar,  whose  flocks  and  herds  were  worth  more 
than  a  million  roubles,  living  in  a  tent  of  ordinary  dimensions 
and  with  very  little  of  what  a  European  would  call  comfort. 
These  natives  harmonize  perfectly  with  the  Russians,  of  whom 
they  have  a  respectful  fear. 

Like  their  kindred  in  Central  Asia,  these  Tartars  are  ex- 
cellent horsemen,  and  show  themselves  literally  at  home  in 
the  saddle.  Dismounted,  they  step  clumsily  >  and  are  unable 
to  walk  any  distance  of  importance.  On  horseback  they  have 
an  easy  and  graceful  carriage,  and  are  capable  of  great  en- 
durance. They  show  intense  love  for  their  horses,  caressing 
them  constantly  and  treating  their'favorite  riding  animals  as 
household  pets.  In  all  their  songs  and  traditions  the  horse 
occupies  a  prominent  place. 

One  of  the  most  popular  Tartar  songs,  said  to  be  of  great 
antiquity,  relates  the  adventures  of  "  Swan's  Wing,"  a  beau- 
tiful daughter  of  a  native  chief.  Her  brother  had  been  over- 
powered by  a  magician  and  carried  to  the  spirit  land.  Ac- 


A    TARTAR  ALLEGORY. 


475 


cording  to  the  tradition  the  horse  he  rode  came  to  Swan's 
Wing  and  told  her  what  had  occurred.  The  young  girl  beg- 
ged him  to  lead  her  by  the  road  the  magician  had  taken,  and 
thus  guided,  she  reached  the  country  of  the  shades.  Assisted 
by  the  horse  she  was  able  to  rescue  her  brother  from  the 
prison  where  he  was  confined.  On  her  return  she  narrated 
to  her  people  the  incidents  of  her  journey,  which  are  chanted 
at  the  present  time.  The  song  tells  how  one  of  the  super- 
natural guardians  was  attracted  by  her  beauty  and  became 
her  valet  de  place  during  her  visit. 

Near  the  entrance  of  the  grounds  she  saw  a  fat  horse  in  a 
sandy  field,  and  a  lean  one  in  a  meadow.  A  thin  and  appar- 
ently powerless  man  was  wading  against  a  torrent,  while  a 
large  and  muscular  one  could  not  stop  a  small  brook. 

"  The  first  horse,"  said  her  guide,  "  shows  that  a  careful 
master  can  keep  his  herds  in  good  condition  with  scanty  pas- 
turage, and  the  second  shows  how  easily  one  may  fail  to  pros- 
per in  the  midst  of  plenty.  The  man  stemming  the  torrent 
shows  how  much  one  can  accomplish  by  the  force  of  will, 
even  though  the  body  be  weak.  The  strong  man  is  over- 
powered by  the  little  stream,  because  he  lacks  intelligence 
and  resolution.' ' 

She  was  next  led  through  several  apartments  of  a  large 
building.  In  the  first  apartment  several  women  were  spin- 
ning incessantly,  while  others  attempted  to  swallow  balls  of 
hemp.  Next  she  saw  women  holding  heavy  stones  in  their 
hands  and  unable  to  put  them  down.  Then  there  were  par- 
ties playing  without  cessation  upon  musical  instruments,  and 
others  busy  over  games  of  chance.  In  one  room  were  men 
and  dogs  enraged  and  biting  each  other.  In  a  dormitory 
were  many  couples  with  quilts  of  large  dimensions,  but  in 
each  couple  there  was  an  active  struggle,  and  its  quilt  was 
frequently  pulled  aside.  In  the  last  hall  of  the  establish- 
ment there  were  smiling  couples,  at  peace  with  all  the  world 
and  '  the  rest  of  mankind.'  The  song  closes  with  the  guide's 
explanation  of  what  Swan's  Wing  had  seen. 

"  The  women  who  spin  now  are  punished  because  in  their 


476 


THE   SCENE   AND   THE  LESSON. 


lives  they  continued  to  spin  after  sunset,  when  they  should 
be  at  rest. 

Those  who  swallow  balls  of  hemp  were  guilty  of  stealing 
thread  by  making  their  cloth  too  thin. 

Those  condemned  to  hold  heavy  stones  were  guilty  of  put- 
ting stones  in  their  butter  to  make  it  heavy. 

The  parties  who  make  music  and  gamble  did  nothing  else 
in  their  life  time,  and  must  continue  that  employment  per- 
petually. 

The  men  with  the  dogs  are  suffering  the  penalty  of  having 
created  quarrels  on  earth. 

The  couples  who  freeze  under  ample  covering  are  punished 
for  their  selfishness  when  mortals,  and  the  couples  in  the 
next  apartment  are  an  example  to  teach  the  certainty  of  hap- 
piness to  those  who  develop  kindly  disposition." 

The  region  of  the  Lower  Yenesei  contains  many  exiles 
whom  the  government  desired  to  remove  far  from  the  centers 
of  population.  These  include  political  and  criminal  prison- 
ers, whose  offences  are  of  a  high  grade,  together  with  the 
members  of  a  certain  religious  order,  known  as  "  The  Skop- 
tsi."  The  latter  class  is  particularly  obnoxious  on  account 
of  its  practice  of  mutilation.  Whenever  an  adherent  of  this 
sect  is  discovered  he  is  banished  to  the  remotest  regions, 
either  in  the  north  of  Siberia  or  among  the  mountains  of  Cir- 
cassia.  It  is  the  only  religious  body  relentlessly  persecuted 
by  the  Russian  government,  and  the  persecution  is  based  upon 
the  sparseness  of  population.  Some  of  these  men  have  been 
incorporated  into  regiments  on  the  frontier,  where  they  prove 
obedient  and  tractable.  Those  who  become  colonists  in  Si- 
beria are  praised  for  their  industry  and  perseverance,  and  in- 
variably win  the  esteem  of  their  neighbors.  They  are  banish- 
ed to  distant  localities  through  fear  of  their  influence  upon 
those  around  them.  Most  of  the  money-changers  of  Moscow 
are  reputed  to  believe  in  this  peculiar  faith. 

Many  prominent  individuals  were  exiled  to  the  Lower  Yen- 
esei and  regions  farther  eastward,  under  former  sovereigns. 
Count  Golofkin,  one  of  the  ministers  of  Catherine  II.,  was 


AN    ECCENTRIC  EXILE. 


477 


banished  to  Nijne  Kolymsk,  where  he  died.  It  is  said  that 
he  used  to  put  himself,  his  servants,  and  house  in  deep  mourn- 
ing on  every  anniversary  of  Catherine's  birthday.  Two  offi- 
cers of  the  court 'of  the  emperor  Paul  were  exiled  to  a  small 
town  on  the  Yenesei,  where  they  lived  until  recalled  by  Alex- 
ander I. 

The  settlers  on  the  Angara  are  freed  from  liability  to  con- 
scription, on  condition  that  they  furnish  rowers  and  pilots  to 
boats  navigating  that  stream.  The  settlers  on  the  Lena  en- 
joy the  same  privilege  under  similar  terms.  On  account  of 
the  character  of  the  country  and  the  drawbacks  to  prosperity, 
the  taxes  are  much  lighter  than  in  more  favored  regions.  In 
the  more  northern  districts  there  is  a  considerable  trade  in 
furs  and  ivory.  The  latter  comes  in  the  shape  of  walrus 
tusks,  and  the  tusks  and  teeth  of  the  mammoth,  which  are 
gathered  on  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  and  the  islands 
scattered  through  it.  This  trade  is  less  extensive  than  it  was 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


I SPENT  three  days  in  Krasnoyarsk,  chiefly  employed  up- 
on my  letters  and  journal.  My  recent  companions  were 
going  no  farther  in  my  direction,  and  knowing  this  before- 
hand, I  arranged  with  a  gentleman  at  Irkutsk  to  travel  with 
him  from  Krasnoyarsk.  He  arrived  two  days  behind  me, 
and  after  sending  away  a  portion  of  his  heavy  baggage,  was 
ready  to  depart.  There  was  no  snow  to  the  first  station,  and 
so  we  sent  our  sleighs  on  wheels  and  used  the  post  carriages 
over  the  bare  ground.  A  peasant  who  lived  near  the  station 
sought  me  out  and  offered  to  transport  my  sleigh  for  three 
roubles  and  a  little  drink-money.  As  I  demurred,  he  pro- 
posed to  repair,  without  extra  charge,  one  of  my  fenders 
which  had  come  to  grief,  and  we  made  a  bargain  on  this  pro- 
position. 

My  companion,  Dr.  Schmidt,  had  recently  returned  from  a 
mammoth-hunting  expedition  within  the  Arctic  circle.  He 
had  not  secured  a  perfect  specimen  of  this  extinct  beast,  but 
contented  himself  with  some  parts  of  the  stupendous  whole, 
and  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  birds,  bugs,  and  reptiles. 
He  despatched  a  portion  of  his  treasures  by  post;  the  balance, 
with  his  assistant,  formed  a  sufficient  load  for  one  sleigh. 
The  doctor  was  to  ride  in  my  sleigh,  while  his  assistant  in 
another  vehicle  kept  company  with  the  relicts.  The  kegs, 
boxes,  and  bundles  of  Arctic  zoology  did  not  form  a  comfort- 
able couch,  and  I  never  envied  their  conductor. 

On  the  day  fixed  for  our  departure  we  sent  our  papers  to 
the  station  in  the  forenoon,  and  were  told  we  could  be  sup- 
plied at  sunset  or  a  little  later.    This  was  not  to  our  liking, 

(478) 


TALKING    AGAINST  TIME. 


479 


as  we  desired  to  reach  the  first  station  before  nightfall.  A 
friend  suggested  an  appeal  to  the  Master  of  the  post,  and  to- 
gether we  proceeded  to  that  functionary's  office.  An  amiable, 
quiet  man  he  was,  and  listened  to  our  complaint  with  perfect 
composure.  After  hearing  it  he  summoned  the  smotretal 
with  his  book  of  records,  and  an  animated  discussion  followed. 
I  expected  to  see  somebody  grow  indignant,  but  the  whole 
affair  abounded  in  good  nature. 

The  conversation  was  conducted  with  the  decorum  of  a 
school  dialogue  on  exhibition  day.  In  half  an  hour  by  the 
clock  I  was  told  I  could  have  a  troika  at  once,  in  considera- 
tion of  my  special  passport.  "  Wait  a  little,"  whispered  my 
friend  in  French,  "and  we  will  have  the  other  troika  for 
Schmidt." 

So  I  waited,  kicking  my  heels  about  the  room,  studying  the 
posters  on  the  walls,  eyeing  a  bad  portrait  of  the  emperor, 
and  a  worse  one  of  the  empress,  and  now  and  then  drawing 
near  the  scene  of  action.  The  clerks  looked  at  me  in  furtive 
glances.  At  every  pronunciation  of  my  name,  coupled  with 
the  word  "  Amerikansky,"  there  was  a  general  stare  all 
around.  I  am  confident  those  attaches  of  the  post  office  at 
Krasnoyarsk  had  a  perfect  knowledge  of  my  features. 

In  exactly  another  half  hour  our  point  and  the  horses  were 
'  gained.  W,hen  we  entered  the  office  it  was  positively  declar- 
ed there  were  no  horses  to  be  had,  and  it  was  a  little  odd 
that  two  troikas  and  six  horses,  could  be  produced  out  of 
nothing,  and  each  of  them  at  the  end  of  a  long  talk.  I  ask- 
ed an  explanation  of  the  mystery,  but  was  told  it  was  a  Rus- 
sian peculiarity  that  no  American  could  understand. 

The  horses  came  very  promptly,  one  troika  to  Schmidt's 
lodgings  and  the  other  to  mine.  The  servants  packed  my 
baggage  into  the  little  telyaga  that  was  to  carry  me  to  the 
first  station.  Joining  Schmidt  with  the  other  team,  we  rat- 
tled out  of  town  on  an  excellent  road,  and  left  the  red  hills 
of  Krasnoyarsk.  The  last  object  I  saw  denoting  the  location 
of  the  town  was  a  church  or  chapel  on  a  high  cliff  overlook- 
ing the  Yenesei  valley. 


480 


DIFFICULTIES    OF  CHANGING. 


The  road  lay  over  an  undulating  region,  where  there  were 
few  streams  and  very  little  timber.  The  snow  lay  in  little 
patches  here  and  there  on  the  swells  least  exposed  to  the  sun, 
but  it  did  not  cover  a  twentieth  part  of  the  ground.  In  sev- 
eral hollows  the  mud  had  frozen  and  presented  a  rough  sur- 
face to  our  wheels.  Our  telyaga  had  no  springs,  and  when 
we  went  at  a  rapid  trot  over  the  worst  places  the  bones  of 
my  spinal  column  seemed  engaged  in  a  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence. A  thousand  miles  of  such  riding  would  have  been 
too  much  for  me.  A  clog  belonging  to  Madame  Radstvenny's 
house-keeper  followed  me  from  Krasnoyarsk,  but  did  not  show 
himself  till  we  were  six  or  eight  versts  away.  Etiquette,  to 
say  nothing  of  morality,  does  not  sanction  stealing  the  dog 
of  your  host,  and  so  I  arranged  for  the  brute's  return.  In 
consideration  of  fifty  copecks  the  yemshick  agreed  to  take 
the  dog  on  his  homeward  trip  and  deliver  him  in  good  order 
and  condition  at  Krasnoyarsk. 

Just  before  reaching  the  first  station  we  passed  through  a 
village  nearly  four  miles  long,  but  only  a  single  street  in 
width.  The  station  was  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  village  ; 
our  sleighs  were  waiting  for  us,  and  so  were  the  men  who 
brought  them  from  Krasnoyarsk.  There  was  no  snow  for 
the  next  twenty  versts.  and  consequently  the  sleighs  needed 
further  transportation.  Schmidt's  sleigh  was  dragged  empty 
over  the  bare  ground,  but  mine,  being  heavier,  was  mounted 
upon  wheels. 

Other  difficulties  awaited  us.  There  was  but  one  troika  to 
spare  and  only  one  telyaga.  We  required  two  vehicles  for 
ourselves  and  baggage,  but  the  smotretal  could  not  accom- 
modate us.  We  ordered  the  samovar,  and  debated  over  our 
tea.  I  urged  my  friend  to  try  the  effect  of  my  special  pass- 
port, which  had  always  been  successful  in  Paul's  hands.  He 
did  so  after  our  tea-drinking,  but  the  document  was  power- 
less, the  smotretal  doubtless  arguing  that  if  the  paper  were 
of  consequence  we  should  have  shown  it  on  our  arrival.  We 
sent  it  to  the  starost,  or  head  man  of  the  village,  but  that 
worthy  declined  to  honor  it,  and  we  were  left  to  shift  for  our- 


AT    HOME    IN    OUR  SLEIGH. 


481 


selves.  Evidently  the  power  of  the  Governor  General's  pass- 
port was  on  the  wane. 

The  document  was  a  request,  not  an  order,  and  therefore 
had  no  real  force.  Paul  always  displayed  it  as  if  it  were  an 
Imperial  ukase.  His  manner  of  spreading  the  double  page 
and  exhibiting  seal  and  signature  carried  authority  and  pro- 
duced horses.  The  amiable  naturalist  had  none  of  the  qual- 
ity called  4  cheek,'  and  the  adoption  of  an  authoritative  air 
did  not  accord  with  his  character.  He  subsequently  present- 
ed the  passport  as  if  he  thought  it  all-powerful,  and  on  such 
occasions  it  generally  proved  so.  A  man  who  wishes  to  pass 
a  doorkeeper  at  a  caucus,  enter  a  ladies'  car  on  a  railway,  or 
obtain  a  reserved  seat  in  a  court  room,  is  much  more  certain 
of  success  if  he  advances  with  a  confident  air  than  if  he 
hesitates  and  appears  fearful  of  ejection.  Humanity  is  the 
same  the  world  over,  and  there  is  more  than  a  shadow  of 
truth  in  the  saying  that  society  values  a  man  pretty  much  as 
he  appears  to  value  himself.  I  can  testify  that  the  smotretals 
in  Siberia  generally  regarded  our  papers  according  to  our 
manner  of  showing  them. 

We  took  tea  a  second  time,  parlayed  with  the  yemshicks 
and  their  friends,  and  closed  by  chartering  a  team  at  double 
the  regular  rates.  Just  before  reaching  the  snow  we  passed 
the  sleighs,  and  halted  for  them  to  come  up.  My  sleigh  was 
very  soon  ready,  and  we  rejoiced  at  our  transfer  of  baggage. 
During  the  change  a  bottle  of  cognac  disappeared  mysterious- 
ly, and  I  presume  we  shall  never  see  it  again.  The  other 
and  more  cumbersome  articles  preserved  their  numbers  faith- 
fully. Our  party  halting  in  the  moonlight  and  busy  about 
the  vehicles,  presented  a  curiously  picturesque  appearance. 
Schmidt  was  in  his  Arctic  costume,  while  I  wore  my  winter 
dress,  minus  the  dehar.  The  yemshicks  were  wrapped  in 
their  inevitable  sheepskins,  and  bustled  about  with  unwaver- 
ing good  humor. 

In  the  sleigh  we  were  at  home,  and  had  a  roof  to  cover  us ; 
we  made  very  good  speed  to  the  station,  where  we  found  no 
horses.  The  floor  of  the  travelers'  room  was  covered  with 
31 


482 


KEEPING    THE    FEAST  DAYS. 


dormant  figures,  and  after  bumping  my  head  over  the  door- 
way, I  waded  in  a  pond  of  bodies,  heads,  and  legs.  The 
moon  was  the  only  light,  and  its  beams  were  not  sufficient  to 
prevent  my  stepping  on  several  sleepers,  and  extracting  Rus- 
sian oaths  for  my  carelessness. 

"  Now  for  it,"  I  whispered  to  the  good-natured  doctor,  as 
we  waked  the  smotretal.  u  Make  him  think  our  papers  are 
important." 

The  official  rubbed  his  eyes  over  the  passport,  and  then 
hastened  to  arouse  the  starost.  The  latter  ordered  horses 
from  the  village  without  delay. 

It  had  been  a  fete-day  in  honor  of  the  Emperor,  and  most 
of  the  villagers  were  drunk,  so  that  it  required  some  time  to 
assemble  the  requisite  yemshicks  and  horses.  A  group  of 
men  and  women  from  an  evening  party  passed  the  station, 
and  amused  us  with  native  songs.  An  inebriated  moujik, 
riding  on  a  small  sled,  turned  from  the  road  to  enter  the  sta- 
tion yard.  One  side  of  the  sled  passed  over  a  log,  and  as 
the  man  had  not  secured  his  balance,  he  rolled  out  of  sight 
in  a  snow  drift.  I  watched  him  as  he  emerged,  much  as 
Neptune  might  appear  from  the  crest  of  a  foamy  wave. 

The  Siberians  keep  all  the  Imperial  fete-days  with  scrupu- 
lous exactness,  and  their  loyalty  to  the  emperor  is  much  akin 
to  religious  awe.  The  whole  Imperial  family  is  the  object  of 
great  respect,  and  whatever  is  commanded  in  the  name  of 
the  emperor  meets  the  most  cheerful  acquiescence.  One  finds 
the  portrait  of  Alexander  in  almost  every  house,  and  I  never 
heard  the  name  of  that  excellent  ruler  mentioned  disrespect- 
fully. If  His  Majesty  would  request  that  his  subjects  abstain 
from  vodki  drinking  on  Imperial  fete-days,  he  would  do  much 
toward  their  prosperity.  It  would  be  an  easy  beginning  in 
the  cause  of  temperance,  as  no  one  could  consider  it  out  of 
place  for  the  emperor  to  prescribe  the  manner  of  celebrating 
his  own  festivals.  The  work  once  begun  in  this  way,  would 
be  likely  to  lead  to  good  results.  Drunkenness  is  the  great 
vice  of  the  Russian  peasant,  and  will  never  be  suppressed 
without  the  active  endeavors  of  the  government. 


AMONG    THE    SNOW  BANKS. 


483 


DOWN  HILL. 


When  we  started  from  the  station  we  ran  against  the  gate 
post,  and  were  nearly  overturned  in  consequence.    My  head 
came  against  the  side  of  the  sleigh  with  a  heavy  thump  that 
affected  me 
more  than  it 
did  the  vehi- 
cle.   We  de- 
scended  a 
long  hill  at  I 
a  full  run, 
and  as  our 
y  e  m  s  h  i  c  k 
was  far  from 
sober  I  had 
a  lively  ex-  n 
pectation  of 
a  general 
smash  at  the 
bottom. 

About  half  way  down  the  descent  we  met  a  sleigh  and  dashed 
our  fenders  against  it.  The  strong  poles  rubbed  across  each 
other  like  fencing  foils,  and  withstood  the  shock  finely. 

At  sunset  there  were  indications  of  a  snow  storm  in  the 
gradual  ascent  of  the  thermometer.  An  hour  past  midnight 
the  temperature  was  above  freezing  point,  and  the  sleigh  run- 
ners lost  that  peculiar  ringing  sound  that  indicates  cold 
weather.  I  threw  off  my  furs  and  endeavored  to  sleep,  but 
accomplished  little  in  that  direction.  My  clothing  was  too 
thick  or  too  thin.  Without  my  furs  I  shivered,  and  with 
them  I  perspired.  My  sleigh  robe  was  too  much  for  comfort, 
and  the  absence  of  it  left  something  to  be  desired.  Warm 
weather  is  a  great  inconvenience  in  a  Siberian  winter  journey. 
The  b£st  temperature  for  travel  is  from  five  to  fifteen  degrees 
below  the  freezing  point. 

The  road  was  abominable,  though  it  might  have  been  worse. 
It  was  full  of  drifts,  bare  spots,  and  oukhabas,  and  our  motion 
was  as  varied  as  a  politician's  career.    Sometimes  it  was  up, 


484 


HUNTING    A  MAMMOTH. 


then  down,  then  sidewise,  and  then  all  ways  at  once.  We 
pitched  and  rolled  like  a  canoe  descending  the  Lachine  rap- 
ids, or  a  whale-boat  towed  by  a  hundred-barrel  "  bow-head." 
1  n  many  places  the  snow  was  blown  from  the  regular  road, 
and  the  winter  track  wound  through  fields  and  forests  wher- 
ever snow  could  be  found.  There  was  an  abundance  of  rocks, 
stumps,  and  other  inequalities  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  this 
mode  of  travel.  We  went  much  out  of  our  way  to  find  snow, 
and  I  think  we  sometimes  increased,  by  a  third  or  a  half,  the 
distance  between  stations.  The  road  was  both  horizontally 
and  vertically  tortuous. 

My  companion  took  every  occurrence  with  the  utmost  cool- 
ness, and  taught  me  some  things  in  patience  I  had  not  known 
before.  He  was  long  accustomed  to  Siberian  travel,  having 
made  several  scientific  journeys  through  Northern  Asia.  In 
1859  the  Russian  Geographical  Society  sent  him  to  visit  the 
Amoor  valley  and  explore  the  island  of  Sakhalin.  His  jour- 
ney thither  was  accomplished  in  winter,  and  when  he  return- 
ed he  brought  many  valuable  data  touching  the  geology  and 
the  vegetable  and  animal  life  of  the  island.  He  told  me  he 
spoke  the  American  language,  having  learned  it  among  my 
countrymen  at  Nicolayevsk,  but  had  never  studied  English. 
His  journey  to  the  Arctic  Circle  was  made  on  behalf  of  the 
Russian  Academy  of  Science,  of  which  he  was  an  active 
member. 

In  1865  the  captain  of  a  Yenesei  steamer  learned  that 
some  natives  had  discovered  the  perfectly  preserved  remains 
of  a  mammoth  in  latitude  67°,  about  a  hundred  versts  west 
of  the  river.  He  announced  the  fact  to  a  savant,  who  sent 
the  intelligence  to  St.  Petersburg.  Scientific  men  deemed 
the  discovery  so  important  that  they  immediately  commis- 
sioned Dr.  Schmidt  to  follow  it  up.  The  doctor  went  to 
Eastern  Siberia  in  February,  and  in  the  following  month  pro- 
ceeded down  the  Yenesei  to  Turuhansk,  where  he  remained 
four  or  five  weeks  waiting  for  the  season  of  warmth  and  light. 
He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Lopatin,  a  Russian  geologist, 
and  a  staff  of  three  or  four  assistants.    They  carried  a  pho- 


FINDING   THE    SKELETON    OF   A    MAMMOTH.  485 

tographic  apparatus,  and  one  of  the  sensations  of  their  voy- 
age was  to  take  photographs  at  midnight  in  the  light  of  a 
blazing  sun. 

When  the  Yenesei  was  free  of  ice  the  explorers,  in  a  barge, 
descended  from  Turuhansk  to  the  landing  place  nearest  the 
mammoth  deposit.  Several  Cossacks  accompanied  the  party 
from  Turuhansk,  and  assisted  in  its  intercourse  with  the  na- 
tives. The  latter  were  peacefully  inclined,  and  gladly  served 
the  men  who  came  so  recently  from  the  emperor's  dwelling- 
place.  They  brought  their  reindeer  and  sledges,  and  guided 
the  explorers  to  the  object  of  their  search.  The  country  in 
the  Arctic  Circle  has  very  little  vegetation,  and  the  drift  wood 
that  descends  the  Yenesei  is  an  important  item  to  the  few 
natives  along  the  river.  The  trees  growing  north  of  latitude 
66°  are  very  small,  and  as  one  nears  the  coast  of  the  Frozen 
Ocean  they  disappear  altogether.  The  principal  features  of 
the  country  are  the  wide  tundras,  or  moss-covered  plains, 
similar  to  those  of  North  Eastern  Siberia. 

The  scattered  aboriginals  are  Tunguse  and  Samoyedes. 
Their  chief  employment  is  the  chase  in  winter,  fishing  in 
summer,  and  the  care  of  their  reindeer  at  all  seasons.  Rein- 
deer form  their  principal  wealth,  and  are  emphatically  the 
circulating  medium  of  the  country.  Dr.  Schmidt  told  me  he 
rode  in  a  reindeer  sledge  from  the  river  to  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  mammoth.  It  was  the  month  of  June,  but  the 
snow  had  not  disappeared  and  nothing  could  be  accomplished. 
A  second  visit  several  weeks  later  was  more  successful.  In 
the  interval  the  party  embarked  on  the  steamer  which  makes 
one  or  two  journeys  every  summer  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  in 
search  of  fish,  furs,  and  ivory.  A  vigorous  traffic  is  main- 
tained during  the  short  period  that  the  river  remains  open. 

On  the  return  from  the  Arctic  Ocean,  the  season  was  more 
favorable  to  mammoth-hunting.  Unfortunately  the  remains 
were  not  perfect.  The  skeleton  was  a  good  deal  broken  and 
scattered,  and  some  parts  were  altogether  lacking.  The 
chief  object  of  the  enterprise  was  to  obtain  the  stomach  of 
the  mammoth  so  that  its  contents  could  be  analyzed.    It  is 


486 


A   LONG  SLEEP. 


known  that  the  beast  lived  upon  vegetable  food,  but  no  one 
has  yet  ascertained  its  exact  character.  Some  contend  that 
the  mammoth  was  a  native  of  the  tropics,  and  his  presence 
in  the  north  is  due  to  the  action  of  an  earthquake.  Others 
think  lie  dwelt  in  the  Arctic  regions,  and  never  belonged  in 
the  tropics. 

"  If  we  had  found  his  stomach,"  said  the  doctor,  "  and  as- 
certained what  kind  of  trees  were  in  it,  this  question  would 
have  been  decided.  We  could  determine  his  residence  from 
the  character  of  his  food." 

Though  making  diligent  search  the  doctor  found  no  trace 
of  the  stomach,  and  the  great  point  is  still  open  to  dispute. 
He  brought  away  the  under  jaw  of  the  beast,  and  a  quantity 
of  skin  and  hair.  The  skin  was  half  an  inch  thick,  and  as 
dry  and  hard  as  a  piece  of  sole  leather.  The  hair  was  like 
fine  long  bristles,  and  of  a  reddish  brown  color.  From  the 
quantity  obtained  it  is  thought  the  animal  was  pretty  well 
protected  against  ordinary  weather.  The  doctor  gave  me  a 
cigar  tube  which  a  Samoyede  fabricated  from  a  small  bone  of 
the  mammoth.  He  estimated  that  the  beast  had  been  frozen 
about  ten  thousand  years  in  the  bank  where  he  found  him, 
and  that  his  natural  dwelling  place  was  in  the  north.  The 
country  was  evidently  much  warmer  when  the  mammoth 
roamed  over  it  than  now,  and  there  is  a  belief  that  some  con- 
vulsion of  the  earth,  followed  by  a  lowering  of  the  tempera- 
ture, sealed  the  remains  of  the  huge  beasts  in  the  spots  where 
they  are  now  discovered. 

In  the  year  1799  a  bank  of  frozen  earth  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Lina,  in  Latitude  77°  broke  away  and  revealed  the  body 
of  a  mammoth.  Hair,  skin,  flesh  and  all,  had  been  com- 
pletely preserved  by  the  frost.  In  1806  a  scientific  commis- 
sion visited  the  spot,  but  the  lapse  of  seven  years  proved  of 
serious  consequence.  There  had  been  a  famine  in  the  sur- 
rounding region,  and  the  natives  did  not  scruple  to  feed  their 
dogs  from  the  store  of  flesh  which  nature  had  preserved.  Not 
supposing  the  emperor  desired  the  bones  of  the  beast  they 
carried  away  such  as  they  fancied.    The  teeth  of  the  bears. 


ANCIENT  EELICS. 


487 


wolves,  and  foxes  were  worse  than  the  tooth  of  Time,  and 
finished  all  edible  substance  the  natives  did  not  take.  Only 
the  skeleton  remained,  and  of  this  several  bones  were  gone. 
All  that  could  be  found  was  taken,  and  is  now  in  the  Impe- 
rial collection  at  St.  Petersburg. 

The  remains  of  the  mammoth  show  that  the  beast  was 
closely  akin  to  the  elephant,  but  had  a  longer  and  more  com- 
pressed skull,  and  wore  his  tusks  in  a  different  manner. 
Tusks  have  been  found  more  than  nine  feet  long,  and  I  am 
told  that  one  discovered  some  years  ago,  exceeds  ten  feet  in 
length.  The  skull  from  the  Lena  mammoth  weighed  four 
hundred  and  some  odd  pounds.  Others  have  been  found 
much  larger.  The  mammoth  was  evidently  an  animal  that 
commanded  the  respect  of  the  elephant,  and  other  small  fry 
quadrupeds. 

Bones  of  the  rhinoceros  and  hippopotamus  abound  in  North- 
ern Siberia,  and  like  those  of  the  mammoth  are  found  in 
the  frozen  earth.  In  the  last  century  the  body  of  a  rhinoc- 
eros of  an  extinct  species  was  found  on  the  river  Yilouy,  a 
tributary  of  the  Lena.  In  the  museum  at  St.  Petersburg 
there  is  a  head  of  the  Arctic  rhinoceros  on  which  the  skin 
and  tendons  remain,  and  a  foot  of  the  same  animal  displays 
a  portion  of  its  hair.  The  claws  of  an  enormous  bird  are 
also  found  in  the  north,  some  of  them  three  feet  long,  and 
jointed  through  their  whole  length  like  the  claws  of  an  ostrich. 

Captain  Wrangell  and  other  explorers  say  the  mammoth 
bones  are  smaller  on  the  Arctic  islands  than  on  the  main 
land,  but  are  wonderfully  increased  in  quantity.  For  many 
years  the  natives  and  fur  traders  have  brought  away  large 
cargoes,  but  the  supply  is  not  yet  exhausted.  The  teeth  and 
tusks  on  the  islands  are  more  fresh  and  white  than  those  of 
the  Continent.  On  the  Lachoff  Islands  the  principal  deposit 
was  on  a  low  sand  bank,  and  the  natives  declared  that  when 
the  waves  receded  after  an  easterly  wind,  a  fresh  supply  was 
always  found.  One  island  about  latitude  80°  was  said  to  be 
largely  composed  of  mammoth  bones.  I  presume  this  state- 
ment should  be  received  with  a  little  caution. 


488 


CAST   AWAY    IN    THE    ARCTIC  OCEAN. 


During  the  doctor's  expedition  the  supply  of  provisions 
was  not  always  abundant,  but  there  was  no  absolute  scarcity. 
The  party  lived  for  some  time  on  fish,  and  on  the  flesh  of  the 
reindeer.  A  story  was  told  that  the  explorers  were  reduced 
to  subsisting  on  the  mammoth  they  discovered,  and  hence 
their  failure  to  bring  away  portions  of  the  flesh.  Mammoth 
cutlets  and  soup  were  occasionally  proposed  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  savants  on  their  return  to  Irkutsk. 

One  of  my  acquaintances  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death 
on  the  ice  during  an  expedition  toward  Kotelnoi  Island,  and 
the  chain  lying  to  the  east  of  it,  generally  known  as  New  Si- 
beria. It  was  early  in  the  spring — somewhat  later  than  the 
time  of  the  ordinary  winter  journeys — that  he  set  out  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Lena,  hoping  to  reach  Kotelnoi  Island,  and  return 
before  the  weather  became  warm.  He  had  four  dog  teams, 
and  was  accompanied  by  a  Russian  servant  and  two  Yakut 
natives,  whom  he  engaged  for  a  voyage  down  the  Lena,  and 
the  expedition  across  the  ice.  It  was  known  that  a  quantity 
of  ivory  had  been  gathered  on  the  island,  and  was  waiting 
for  transportation  to  the  Lena  ;  to  get  this  ivory  was  the  object 
of  the  journey.  I  will  tell  the  story  in  the  words  of  the  nar- 
rator, or  as  nearly  as  I  can  do  so  from  recollection. 

"  We  reached  the  island  without  serious  trouble  ;  the 
weather  was  clear  and  cold,  and  the  traveling  quite  as  good 
as  we  expected.  Where  the  ice  was  level  we  got  along  very 
well,  though  there  were  now  and  then  deep  fissures  caused  by 
the  frost,  and  which  we  had  some  difficulty  in  crossing.  Fre- 
quently we  were  obliged  to  detach  the  dogs  from  the  sleds 
and  compel  them  to  jump  singly  across  the  fissures.  The 
sledges  were  then  drawn  over  by  hand,  and  once  on  the  other 
side  the  teams  were  re-harnessed,  and  proceeded  on  their 
way.  The  ice  was  seven  or  eight  feet  thick,  and  some  of  the 
fissures  were  a  yard  wide  at  the  surface,  and  tapered  to  a 
wedge  shape  at  the  bottom.  It  was  not  absolutely  dangerous, 
though  very  inconvenient  to  fall  into  one  of  the  crevices,  and 
our  dogs  were  very  careful  to  secure  a  good  foothold  on  the 
edges  where  they  jumped. 


CAST   AWAY   IN   THE    ARCTIC   OCEAN.  489 


"  The  second  day  out  we  got  among  a  great  many  hum- 
mocks, or  detached  pieces  of  bergs,  that  caused  us  much 


DOGS  AMONG  ICE. 

trouble.  They  were  so  numerous  that  we  were  often  shut  out 
from  the  horizon,  and  were  guided  solely  by  the  compass. 
Frequently  we  found  them  so  thick  that  it  was  impossible  to 
break  a  road  through  them,  and  after  working  for  an  hour  or 
two,  we  would  be  compelled  to  retrace  our  steps,  and  endeav- 
or to  find  a  new  route.  Where  they  formed  in  ridges,  and 
were  not  too  high,  we  broke  them  down  with  our  ice-hatchets  ; 
the  work  was  very  exhausting  to  us,  and  so  was  the  task  of 
drawing  the  sledges  to  the  poor  dogs. 

"  Just  as  we  left  the  level  ice,  and  came  among  these  hum- 
mocks, the  dogs  came  on  the  fresh  track  of  a  polar  bear,  and 
at  once  stared  to  follow  him.  My  team  was  ahead,  and  the 
dogs  set  out  in  full  chase,  too  rapidly  for  me  to  stop  them, 
though  I  made  every  effort  to  do  so.  The  other  teams  fol- 
lowed close  upon  us,  and  very  soon  my  sledge  overturned,  and 
the  dogs  became  greatly  mixed  up.  The  team  of  Nicolai, 
my  servant,  was  likewise  upset  close  to  mine,  and  we  had 
much  trouble  to  get  them  right  again.    Ivan  and  Paul,  the 


490 


A   POLAR   BEAR  FIGHT. 


two  Yakuts,  came  up  and  assisted  us.  Their  dogs  following 
on  our  track  had  not  caught  the  scent  of  the  bear  so  readily 
as  ours,  and  consequently  were  more  easily  brought  to  a  stop. 

"  We  set  the  sledges  right,  and  when  we  were  ready  to 
start,  the  sharp  eyes  of  Ivan  discovered  the  bear  looking  at 
us  from  behind  a  hummock,  and  evidently  debating  in  his 
mind  whether  to  attack  us  or  not.  Leaving  the  teams  in 
charge  of  Paul,  I  started  with  Nicolai  and  Ivan  to  endeavor 
to  kill  the  bear.  Nicolai  and  myself  were  armed  with  rifles, 
while  Ivan  carried  a  knife  and  an  ice-hatchet. 

"  The  bear  stood  very  patiently  as  we  approached  ;  he  was 
evidently  unaccustomed  to  human  visitors,  and  did  not  un- 
derstand what  we  were  about.  The  hummock  where  he 
stood  was  not  very  steep,  and  I  thought  it  best  to  get  a  posi- 
tion a  little  above  him  for  better  safety,  in  case  we  had  a 
sharp  fight  after  firing  our  first  shot.  We  took  our  stand  on 
a  little  projection  of  ice  a  few  feet  higher  than  where  he  was, 
and  about  thirty  paces  distant ;  I  arranged  that  Nicolai  should 
fire  first,  as  I  was  a  better  shot  than  he,  and  it  would  be  best 
for  me  to  have  the  reserve.  Nicolai  fired,  aiming  at  the  bear's 
heart,  which  was  well  protected,  as  we  knew,  by  a  thick  hide 
and  a  heavy  mass  of  flesh. 

"  The  shot  was  not  fatal.  The  bear  gave  a  roar  of  pain, 
and  sprang  toward  us.  I  waited  until  he  placed  his  huge 
fore  paws  over  the  edge  of  the  little  ridge  where  we  stood, 
and  exposed  his  throat  and  chest.  He  was  not  more  than 
ten  feet  away,  and  I  buried  the  bullet  exactly  where  I  wished. 
But,  notwithstanding  both  our  shots,  the  animal  was  not 
killed,  but  lifted  himself  easily  above  the  shelf,  and  sprang 
toward  us. 

"  We  retreated  higher  up  to  another  shelf,  and  as  the  bear 
attempted  to  climb  it,  Nicolai  struck  him  with  the  butt  of  his 
rifle,  which  the  beast  warded  off  with  his  paw,  and  sent  whirl- 
ing into  the  snow.  But  at  the  same  instant  Ivan  took  his 
opportunity  to  deal  an  effective  blow  with  his  ice-hatchet, 
which  he  buried  in  the  skull  of  the  animal,  fairly  penetrat- 
ing his  brain.    The  blow  accomplished  what  our  shots  had 


BREAKING   UP    OF   THE   ICE.  491 

not.  Bruin  fell  back,  and  after  a  few  convulsive  struggles, 
lay  dead  at  our  feet. 

"  We  hastened  back  to  the  teams,  and  brought  them  for- 
ward. We  were  not  absent  more  than  twenty  minutes,  but 
by  the  time  we  returned  several  Arctic  foxes  had  made  their 
appearance,  and  were  snuffing  the  air,  preparatory  to  a  feast. 
We  drove  them  off,  and  very  soon  the  dogs  were  enjoying  a 
meal  of  fresh  meat,  that  we  threw  to  them  immediately  on 
removing  the  skin  of  the  bear,  which  the  Yakuts  accom- 
plished with  great  alacrity.  The  beast  was  old  and  tough, 
so  that  most  of  his  flesh  went  to  the  dogs,  part  of  it  being 
eaten  on  the  spot,  while  the  rest  was  packed  on  the  sledges 
for  future  use. 

"  We  had  no  other  incidents  of  importance  until  our  return 
from  the  island.  The  weather  suddenly  became  cloudy,  and 
a  warm  wind  set  in  from  the  southward.  The  snow  softened 
so  that  the  dogs  could  with  difficulty  draw  the  sledges,  even 
when  relieved  of  our  weight.  fWe  walked  by  their  side,  en- 
couraging them  in  every  possible  way,  and  as  the  softness  of 
the  snow  increased,  it  became  necessary  to  throw  away  a  part 
of  the  loads.  Our  safety  required  that  we  should  reach  the 
land  as  soon  as  possible,  since  there  were  many  indications 
that  the  ice  was  about  to  break  up.  After  sixteen  hours  of 
continuous  dragging,  we  stopped,  quite  exhausted,  though 
still  thirty  miles  from  land,  as  it  was  absolutely  impossible  for 
men  or  dogs  to  proceed  further  without  rest.  I  was  so  utter- 
ly worn  out  that  I  sank  upon  the  snow,  hardly  able  to  move. 
The  Yakuts  fed  the  dogs,  and  then  lay  down  at  their  side, 
anxiously  waiting  the  morning  to  bring  us  relief. 

"Just  as  the  day  was  opening,  I  was  awakened  by  a  rum- 
bling noise,  and  a  motion  below  me,  followed  by  a  shout  from 
Ivan. 

"  6  The  ice  is  breaking  up  V 

"  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and  so  did  my  companions.  The 
dogs  were  no  less  sensible  of  their  danger  than  ourselves,  and 
stirred  uneasily  while  giving  vent  to  plaintive  whines.  The 
wind  from  the  south  had  increased ;  it  was  blowing  directly 


492 


BREAKING    UP    OF    THE  ICE. 


off  the  land,  and  I  conld  see  that  the  ice  was  cracking  here 
and  there  under  its  influence,  and  the  whole  field  was  in  mo- 
tion. Dark  lanes  appeared,  and  continued  to  increase  in 
width,  besides  growing  every  minute  more  numerous.  I 
ordered  all  the  loads  thrown  from  the  sledges,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  day's  provisions  for  men  and  dogs,  and  a  few  of 
our  extra  garments.  When  this  was  done — and  it  was  done 
very  speedily — we  started  for  the  shore. 


HE 


JUMPING  THE  FISSURES. 

"  We  jumped  the  dogs  over  the  smaller  crevices  without 
serious  accident,  but  the  larger  ones  gave  us  a  great  deal  of 
trouble.  On  reaching  them,  we  skirted  along  their  edges  till 
we  could  find  a  cake  of  ice  large  enough  to  ferry  us  over.  In 
this  way  we  crossed  more  than  twenty  openings,  some  of  them 
a  hundred  yards  in  width.  Do  not  suppose  we  did  so  with- 
out being  thrown  several  times  in  the  water,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion four  of  the  dogs  were  drowned.  The  poor  brutes  be- 
came tangled  in  their  harness,  and  it  was  impossible  to  ex- 
tricate them.  All  the  dogs  seemed  to  be  fully  aware  of  the!;- 
danger,  and  to  understand  that  their  greatest  safety  lay  in 
their  obeying  us.  I  never  saw  them  more  obedient,  and  they 
rarely  hesitated  to  do  what  we  commanded.    It  grieved  me 


FROZE   TO    THE  ICE. 


493 


greatly  to  see  the  dogs  drowning  when  we  were  unable  to  help 
them,  but  could  only  listen  to  their  cries  for  help,  until  stifled 
by  the  water. 

"  We  toiled  all  day,  and  night  found  us  five  miles  from 
shore,  with  a  strip  of  open  water  between  us  and  land. 
Here  and  there  were  floating  cakes  of  ice,  but  the  main  body 
had  been  blown  off  by  the  wind  and  promised  to  be  a  mile  or 
two  further  to  the  north  before  morning. 

"  I  determined  to  wait  for  daylight,  and  then  endeavor  to 
reach  the  shore  on  cakes  of  ice.  The  attempt  would  be  fall 
of  danger,  but  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done.  Reluct- 
antly I  proposed  abandoning  the  dogs,  but  my  companions 
appealed  to  me  to  keep  them  with  us,  as  they  had  already 
saved  our  lives,  and  it  would  be  the  basest  ingratitude  to  de- 
sert them.  I  did  not  require  a  second  appeal,  and  promised 
that  whatever  we  did,  the  dogs  should  go  with  us  if  possible. 

"  Imagine  the  horror  of  that  night !  We  divided  the  little 
food  that  remained,  men  and  dogs  sharing  alike,  and  tried  to 
rest  upon  the  ice.  We  had  no  means  of  making  a  fire,  our 
clothing  was  soaked  with  water,  and,  during  the  night,  the 
wind  shifted  suddenly  to  the  northward  and  became  cold.  I 
was  lying  down,  and  fell  asleep  from  utter  exhaustion  ;  though 
the  cold  was  severe,  I  did  not  think  it  dangerous,  and  felt 
quite  unable  to  exercise  to  keep  warm.  The  Yakuts,  with 
Xicolai,  huddled  among  the  dogs,  and  were  less  wearied  than 
I.  When  they  shouted  to  me  at  daybreak,  I  slowly  opened 
my  eyes,  and  found  that  I  could  not  move.  I  was  frozen 
fast  to  the  ice  ! 

"  Had  I  been  alone  there  would  have  been  no  escape.  My 
companions  came  to  my  relief,  but  it  was  with  much  difficulty 
that  they  freed  me  from  my  unpleasant  situation.  When  we 
looked  about,  we  found  that  our  circumstances  had  greatly 
changed  during  the  night.  The  wind  had  ceased,  and  the 
frost  had  formed  fresh  ice  over  the  space  where  there  was 
open  water  the  day  before.  It  was  out  of  the  question  to 
ferry  to  land,  and  our  only  hope  lay  in  driving  the  sledges 
over  the  new  ice.    I  ordered  the  teams  to  be  made  ready,  and 


494 


DROWNED   NEAR   THE  SHORE. 


to  keep  several  hundred  yards  apart,  so  as  to  make  as  little 
weight  as  possible  on  one  spot.  I  took  one  sledge,  Nicolai 
another,  and  the  Yakuts  the  third.  Our  fourth  sledge  was 
lost  at  the  time  of  our  accident  the  day  before. 


THE  TEAM. 


"  Our  plan  was  to  drive  at  full  speed,  to  lessen  the  danger 
of  breaking  through.  Once  through  the  ice,  there  would  have 
been  no  hope  for  us.  We  urged  the  dogs  forward  with  loud 
cries,  and  they  responded  to  our  wishes  by  exerting  all  their 
strength.  We  went  forward  at  a  gallop.  I  reached  the  shore 
in  safety,  and  so  did  Nicolai,  but  not  so  the  poor  Yakuts. 

"  When  within  a  mile  of  the  land  I  heard  a  cry.  I  well 
knew  what  it  meant,  but  I  could  give  no  assistance,  as  a 
moment's  pause  would  have  seen  me  breaking  through  our 
frail  support.  I  did  not  even  dare  to  look  around,  but  con- 
tinued shouting  to  the  dogs  to  carry  them  to  land.  Once  there, 
I  wiped  the  perspiration  from  my  face,  and  ventured  to  look 
over  the  track  where  I  came. 

"  The  weight  of  the  two  men  upon  one  sledge  had  crushed 
the  ice,  and  men,  dogs  and  sledge  had  fallen  into  the  water. 
Unable  to  serve  them  in  the  least,  we  watched  till  their  strug- 
gles were  ended,  and  then  turned  sorrowfully  away.  The  ice 
closed  over  them,  and  the  bed  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  became 
their  grave." 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


IN  the  morning  after  our  departure  from  Krasnoyarsk  we 
reached  a  third  station,  and  experienced  no  delay  in 
changing  horses.  The  road  greatly  improved,  but  we  made 
slow  progress.  When  we  were  about  two  versts  from  the 
station  one  of  our  horses  left  the  sleigh  and  bolted  homeward. 
The  yemshick  went  in  pursuit,  but  did  not  overtake  the  run- 
away till  he  reached  the  station.  During  his  absence  we  sat 
patiently,  or  rather  impatiently,  in  our  furs,  and  I  improved 
the  opportunity  to  go  to  sleep. 

When  we  were  properly  reconstructed  we  moved  forward, 
with  my  equipage  in  the  rear.  The  mammoth  sleigh  went  at 
a  disreputably  low  speed.  I  endeavored  to  persuade  our  yem- 
shick to  take  the  lead,  but  he  refused,  on  the  ground  that  the 
smotretal  would  not  permit  it.  Added  to  this,  he  stopped 
frequently  to  make  pretended  arrangements  of  the  harness, 
where  he  imagined  it  out  of  order.  To  finish  my  irritation 
at  his  manoeuvres,  he  proposed  to  change  with  a  yemshick  he 
met  about  half  way  on  his  route.  This  would  bring  each  to 
his  own  station  at  the  end  of  the  drive,  and  save  a  return 
trip.  The  man  had  been  so  dilatory  and  obstinate  that  I 
concluded  to  take  my  opportunity,  and  stubbornly  refused 
permission  for  the  change.  This  so  enraged  him  that  he 
drove  very  creditably  for  the  rest  of  the  way. 

"  Both  of  them  Jews,"  he  said  to  the  attendants  at  the  sta- 
tion when  we  arrived.  His  theory  as  to  our  character  was 
something  like  this.  Of  the  male  travelers  in  Siberia  there 
are  practically  but  two  classes — officers  and  merchants.  We 
could  not  be  officers,  as  we  wore  no  uniform ;  therefore  we 

(495) 


496 


PRISONS    FOR  EXILES. 


were  merchants.  The  trading  class  in  Siberia  comprises 
Russians  of  pure  blood  and  Jews,  the  former  speaking  only 
their  own  language  and  never  using  any  other.  As  the  yem- 
shick  did  not  understand  our  conversation,  he  at  once  set  us 
down  as  Israelites  in  whom  there  was  any  quantity  of  guile. 

We  breakfasted  '  on  pilmania,  bread,  and  tea  while  the 
horses  were  being  changed,  and  I  managed  to  increase  our 
bill  of  fare  with  some  boiled  eggs.  The  continual  jolting 
and  the  excessive  cold  gave  me  a  good  appetite  and  excellent 
digestion.  Our  food  was  plain  and  not  served  as  at  Delmon- 
ico's,  but  I  always  found  it  palatable.  We  stopped  twice  a 
day  for  meals,  and  the  long  interval  between  dinner  time  and 
breakfast  generally  made  me  ravenously  hungry  by  morning. 
The  village  where  the  obstinate  yemshick  left  us,  had  a  bad 
reputation  on  the  scale  of  honesty,  but  we  suffered  no  loss 
there.  At  another  village  said  to  contain  thieves,  we  did  not 
leave  the  sleigh. 

About  noon  we  met  a  convoy  of  exiles  moving  slowly  along 
the  snowy  road.  The  prisoners  were  walking  in  double  col- 
umn, but  without  regularity  and  not  attempting  to  '  keep 
step.'  Two  soldiers  with  muskets  and  fixed  bayonets  march- 
ed in  front  and  two  others  brought  up  the  rear.  There  were 
thirty  or  more  prisoners,  all  clad  in  sheepskin  garments,  their 
heads  covered  with  Russian  hoods,  and  their  hands  thrust 
into  heavy  mittens.  Behind  the  column  there  were  four  or 
five  sleighs  containing  baggage  and  foot-sore  prisoners,  half 
a  dozen  soldiers,  and  two  women.  The  extreme  rear  was 
finished  by  two  soldiers,  with  muskets  and  fixed  bayonets, 
riding  on  an  open  sledge.  The  rate  of  progress  was  regulat- 
ed by  the  soldiers  at  the  head  of  the  column.  Most  of  the 
prisoners  eyed  us  as  we  drove  past,  but  there  were  several 
who  did  not  look  up. 

At  nearly  every  village  there  is  an  ostrog,  or  prison,  for  the 
accommodation  of  exiles.  It  is  a  building,  or  several  build- 
ings, enclosed  with  a  palisade  or  other  high  fence.  Inside 
its  strong  gate  one  cannot  easily  escape,  and  I  believe  the 
attempt  is  rarely  made.    Generally  the  rooms  or  buildings 


TREATMENT    OF  EXILES. 


497 


nearest  the  gate  are  the  residences  of  the  officers  and  guards, 
the  prisoners  being  lodged  as  far  as  possible  from  the  point 
of  egress.  The  distance  from  one  station  to  the  next  varies 
according  to  the  location  of  the  villages,  but  is  usually  about 
twenty  versts.  Generally  the  ostrog  is  outside  the  village, 
but  not  far  away.  The  people  throughout  Siberia  display  un- 
varying kindness  to  exiles  on  their  march.  When  a  convoy 
reaches  a  village  the  inhabitants  bring  whatever  they  can 
spare,  whether  of  food  or  money,  and  either  deliver  it  to  the 
prisoners  in  the  street  or  carry  it  to  the  ostrog.  Many  peas- 
ants plant  little  patches  of  turnips  and  beets,  where  runaway 
prisoners  may  help  themselves  at  night  without  danger  of 
interference  if  discovered  by  the  owner. 

In  every  party  of  exiles,  each  man  takes  his  turn  for  a  day 
in  asking  and  receiving  charity,  the  proceeds  being  for  the 
common  good.  In  front  of  my  quarters  in  Irkutsk  a  party 
of  prisoners  were  engaged  several  days  in  setting  posts. 
One  of  the  number  accosted  every  passer  by,  and  when  he 
received  any  thing  the  prisoners  near  him  echoed  his  '  thank 
you.'  Many  couples  were  engaged,  under  guard,  in  carrying 
water  from  the  river  to  the  prison.  One  man  of  each  couple 
solicited  '  tobacco  money '  for  both.  The  soldiers  make  no 
objection  to  charity  toward  prisoners.  I  frequently  observed 
that  when  any  person  approached  with  the  evident  intention 
of  giving  something  to  the  water  carriers,  the  guards  halted 
to  facilitate  the  donation. 

Very  often  on  my  sleigh  ride  I  met  convoys  of  exiles.  On 
one  occasion  as  we  were  passing  an  ostrog  the  gate  suddenly 
opened,  and  a  dozen  sleighs  laden  with  prisoners  emerged 
and  drove  rapidly  to  the  eastward.  Five-sixths  of  the  exiles 
I  met  on  the  road  were  riding,  and  did  not  appear  to  suffer 
from  cold.  They  were  well  wrapped  in  sheepskin  clothing, 
and  seated,  generally  three  together,  in  the  ordinary  sleighs 
of  the  country.  Formerly  most  exiles  walked  the  entire  dis- 
tance from  Moscow  to  their  destination,  but  of  late  years  it 
has  been  found  better  economy  to  allow  them  to  ride.  Only 
certain  classes  of  criminals  are  now  required  to  go  on  foot. 
32 


498 


A    LARGE  CONVOY. 


All  other  offenders,  including  '  politiques,'  arc  transported  in 
vehicles  at  government  expense.  Any  woman  can  accom- 
pany or  follow  her  husband  into  exile. 

Those  on  foot  go  from  one  station  to  the  next  for  a  day's 
march.  They  travel  two  days  and  rest  one,  and  unless  for 
special  reasons,  are  not  required  to  break  the  Sabbath.  Med- 
ical officers  are  stationed  in  the  principal  towns,  to  look  after 
the  sanitary  condition  of  the  emigrants.  The  object  being 
to  people  the  country,  the  government  takes  every  reasonable 
care  that  the  exiles  do  not  suffer  in  health  while  on  the  road. 
Of  course  those  that  ride  do  not  require  as  much  rest  as  the 
pedestrians.  They  usually  stop  at  night  at  the  ostrogs,  and 
travel  about  twelve  or  fourteen  hours  a  day.  Distinguished 
offenders,  such  as  the  higher  class  of  revolutionists,  officers 
convicted  of  plotting  against  the  state  or  robbing  the  Treas- 
ury, are  generally  rushed  forward  night  and  day.  To  keep 
him  secure  from  escape,  an  exile  of  this  class  is  sometimes 
chained  to  a  soldier  who  rides  at  his  side. 

One  night,  between  Irkutsk  and  Krasnoyarsk,  I  was  awak- 
ened by  an  unusual  motion  of  the  sleigh.  We  were  at  the 
roadside  passing  a  column  of  men  who  marched  slowly  in 
our  direction.  As  I  lifted  our  curtain  and  saw  the  undulat- 
ing line  of  dark  forms  moving  silently  in  the  dim  starlight, 
and  brought  into  relief  against  the  snow  hills,  the  scene  ap- 
peared something  more  than  terrestrial.  I  thought  of  the 
array  of  spectres  that  beleaguered  the  walls  of  Prague,  if  we 
may  trust  the  Bohemian  legend,  and  of  the  shadowy  battal- 
ions described  by  the  old  poets  of  Norseland,  in  the  days  when 
fairies  dwelt  in  fountains,  and  each  valley  was  the  abode  of 
a  good  or  evil  spirit.  But  my  fancies  were  cut  short  by  my 
companion  briefly  informing  me  that  we  were  passing  a  con- 
voy of  prisoners  recently  ordered  from  Irkutsk  to  Yeneseisk. 
It  was  the  largest  convoy  I  saw  during  my  journey,  and  in- 
cluded, as  I  thought,  not  less  than  two  hundred  men. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day  from  Krasnoyarsk  we 
reached  Achinsk,  a  town  of  two  or  three  thousand  inhabit- 
ants, on  the  bank  of  the  Chulim  river.    We  were  told  the 


THE    RUSSIAN    DRIVER    AND    HORSES.  499 

road  was  so  bad  as  to  require  four  horses  to  each  sleigh  to 
the  next  station.  We  consented  to  pay  for  a  horse  additional 
to  the  three  demanded  by  our  padaroshnia,  and  were  carried 
along  at  very  good  speed.  Part  of  the  way  was  upon  the  ice, 
which  had  formed  during  a  wind,  that  left  disagreeable  ridges. 
We  picked  out  the  best  places,  and  had  not  our  horses  slipped 
occasionally,  the  icy  road  would  not  have  been  unpleasant. 
On  the  bare  ground  which  we  traversed  in  occasional  patches 
after  leaving  the  river,  the  horses  behaved  admirably  and 
made  little  discrimination  between  sand  and  snow.  When- 
ever they  lagged  the  yemshick  lashed  them  into  activity. 

I  observed  in  Siberia  that  whip  cracking  is  not  fashionable. 
The  long,  slender,  snapping  whips  of  Western  Europe  and 
America  are  unknown.  The  Siberian  uses  a  short  stock  with 
a  lash  of  hemp,  leather,  or  other  flexible  substance,  but  never 
dreams  of  a  snapper  at  its  end.  Its  only  use  is  for  whipping 
purposes,  and  a  practiced  yemshick  can  do  much  with  it  in  a 
short  time. 

The  Russian  drivers  talk  a  great  deal  to  their  horses,  and 
the  speech  they  use  depends  much  upon  the  character  and 
performance  of  the  animals.  If  the  horse  travels  well  he 
may  be  called  the  dove  or  brother  of  his  driver,  and  assured 
that  there  is  abundance  of  excellent  hay  awaiting  him  at 
home.  Sometimes  a  neat  hint  is  given  that  he  is  drawing  a 
nice  gentleman  who  will  be  liberal  and  enable  the  horse  to 
have  an  extra  feed.  Sometimes  the  man  rattles  off  his  words 
as  if  the  brute  understood  everything  said  to  him.  An  ob- 
stinate or  lazy  horse  is  called  a  variety  of  names  the  reverse 
of  endearing.  I  have  heard  him  addressed  as  '  sabakaj 
(dog)  ;  and  on  frequent  occasions  his  maternity  was  ascribed 
to  the  canine  race  in  epithets  quite  disrespectful.  Horses 
came  in  for  an  amount  of  profanity  about  like  that  showered 
upon  army  mules  in  America.  It  used  to  look  a  little  out  of 
place  to  see  a  yemshick  who  had  shouted  chort!  and  other 
unrefined  expressions  to  his  team,  devoutly  crossing  himself 
before  a  holy  picture  as  soon  as  his  beasts  were  unharnessed. 

A  few  vcrsts  from  Achinsk  we  crossed  the  boundary  be- 


500 


CATARACTS    IN  SIBERIA. 


tween  Eastern  and  Western  Siberia.  The  Chulim  is  naviga- 
ble up  to  Achinsk,  and  during  the  past  two  years  steamers 
have  been  running  between  this  town  and  Tomsk.  The  basin 
of  the  Ob  contains  nearly  as  many  navigable  streams  as  that 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  were  it  not  for  the  severity  of  the  cli- 
mate, the  long  winter,  and  the  northerly  course  of  the  great 
river,  this  valley  might  easily  develop  much  wealth.  But 
nature  is  unfavorable,  and  man  is  powerless  to  change  her 
laws. 

On  changing  at  the  station  we  again  took  four  horses  to 
each  sleigh,  and  were  glad  we  did  so.  The  ground  was  more 
bare  as  we  proceeded,  and  obliged  us  to  leave  the  high  road 
altogether  and  seek  a  track  wherever  it  could  be  found. 
While  we  were  dashing  through  a  mass  of  rocks  and  stumps 
one  of  our  horses  fell  dead,  and  brought  us  to  a  sudden  halt. 
In  his  fall  he  became  entangled  with  the  others,  and  it  re- 
quired some  minutes  to  set  matters  right.  The  yemshick 
felt  for  the  pulse  of  the  beast  until  fully  satisfied  that  no 
pulse  existed.  Happily  we  were  not  far  from  a  station,  so  that 
the  reduction  of  our  team  was  of  no  serious  consequence. 
In  this  region  I  observed  cribs  like  roofless  log  houses  placed 
near  the  roadside  at  intervals  of  a  few  hundred  yards.  They 
were  intended  to  hold  materials  for  repairing  the  road. 

On  the  upper  waters  of  the  Chulim  there  is  a  cascade  of 
considerable  beauty,  according  to  the  statement  of  some  who 
never  saw  it.  A  lew  years  ago  a  Siberian  gold  miner  dis- 
covered a  cataract  on  the  river  Hook,  in  the  Irkutsk  govern- 
ment, that  he  thought  equal  to  Niagara,  and  engaged  an  art- 
ist to  make  a  drawing  of  the  curiosity.  On  reaching  the 
spot,  the  latter  individual  found  the  cascade  a  very  small  af- 
fair. Throughout  Russia,  Niagara  is  considered  one  of  the 
great  wonders  of  the  world,  and  nothing  could  have  been 
more  pleasing  to  the  Siberians  than  to  find  its  rival  in  their 
own  country. 

When  I  first  began  traveling  in  Siberia  a  gentleman  one 
day  expressed  the  hope  of  seeing  America  before  long,  but 
added,  "  much  pleasure  of  my  visit  will  be  lacking  now  that 


AGREEABLE    SENSATIONS.  501 

you  have  lost  Niagara.' '  I  could  not  understand  him,  and 
asked  an  explanation. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "  since  Niagara  has  been  worn  away  to  a 
continuous  rapid  it  must  have  lost  all  its  grandeur  and  sublim- 
ity. I  shall  go  there,  but  I  cannot  enjoy  it  as  I  should  have 
enjoyed  the  great  cataract." 

I  explained  that  Niagara  was  as  perfect  as  ever,  and  had 
no  indication  of  wearing  itself  away.  It  appeared  that  some 
Russian  newspaper,  misled,  I  presume,  by  the  fall  of  Table 
Rock,  announced  that  the  whole  precipice  had  broken  down 
and  left  a  long  rapid  in  place  of  the  cataract.  Several  times 
during  my  journey  I  was  called  upon  to  correct  this  impres- 
sion. 

At  the  third  station  beyond  Achinsk  we  found  a  neat  and 
well  kept  room  for  travelers.  We  concluded  to  dine  there, 
and  were  waited  upon  by  a  comely  young  woman  whose  coif- 
fure showed  that  she  was  unmarried.  She  brought  us  the 
samovar,  cooked  our  pilmania,  and  boiled  a  dizaine  of  eggs. 
Among  the  Russians  articles  which  we  count  by  the  dozen 
are  enumerated  by  tens.  "  Skolka  stoit,  yieetsa?"  (How 
much  do  eggs  cost),  was  generally  answered,  "  Petnatzet  ca- 
pecka,  decetu"  (fifteen  copecks  for  ten.)  Only  among  the 
Western  nations  one  finds  the  dozen  in  use. 

While  we  were  at  dinner  the  cold  sensibly  increased,  and 
on  exposing  my  thermometer  I  found  it  marking  -18°  Fahren- 
heit. Schmidt  wrapped  himself  in  all  his  furs,  and  I  follow- 
ed his  example.  Thus  enveloped  we  filled  the  entire  breadth 
of  our  sleigh  and  could  not  turn  over  with  facility.  A  sharp 
wind  was  blowing  dead  ahead,  and  we  closed  the  front  of  the 
vehicle  to  exclude  it.  The  snow  whirled  in  little  eddies  and 
made  its  way  through  the  crevices  at  the  junction  of  our 
sleigh-boot  with  the  hood.  I  wrapped  a  blanket  in  front  of 
my  face  for  special  protection,  and  soon  managed  to  fall 
asleep.  The  sleigh  poising  on  a  runner  and  out-rigger,  caus- 
ed the  doctor  to  roll  against  me  during  the  first  hour  of  my 
slumber,  and  made  me  dream  that  I  was  run  over  by  a  loco- 
motive.   When  I  waked  I  found  my  breath  had  congealed 


502 


ARRIVAL   AT  TOMSK. 


and  frozen  my  beard  to  the  blanket.  It  required  careful 
manipulation  to  separate  the  two  without  injury  to  either. 

When  we  stopped  to  change  horses  after  this  experience, 
the  stars  were  sparkling  with  a  brilliancy  peculiar  to  the 
Northern  sky.  The  clear  starlight,  unaided  by  the  moon, 
enabled  us  to  see  with  great  distinctness.  I  could  discover 
the  outline  of  the  forest  away  beyond  the  village,  and  trace 
the  road  to  the  edge  of  a  valley  where  it  disappeared.  Every 
individual  star  appeared  endeavoring  to  outshine  his  rivals, 
and  cast  his  rays  to  the  greatest  distance.  Yesta,  Sirius,  and 
many  others  burned  with  a  brightness  that  recalled  my  first 
view  of  the  Drummond  light,  and  seemed  to  dazzle  my  eyes 
when  I  fixed  my  gaze  upon  them. 

The  road  during  the  night  was  rough  but  respectable,  and 
we  managed  to  enjoy  a  fair  amount  of  slumber  in  our  con- 
tracted chambre  a  deux.  Before  daylight  we  reached  a  station 
where  a  traveling  bishop  had  just  secured  two  sets  of  horses. 
Though  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  General  KorsackofT,  I  ex- 
hibited my  special  passport  knowing  it  could  not,  at  all  events, 
do  any  harm.  Out  of  courtesy  the  smotretal  offered  to  sup- 
ply us  as  soon  as  the  bishop  departed.  The  reverend  worthy 
was  dilatory  in  starting,  and  as  we  were  likely  to  be  delayed 
an  hour  or  two,  we  economized  the  time  by  taking  tea.  I 
found  opportunity  for  a  short  nap  after  our  tea-drinking  was 
over,  and  only  awoke  when  the  smotretal  announced,  "loshady 
gotoney" 

In  the  forenoon  we  entered  upon  the  steppe  where  trees  were 
few  and  greatly  scattered.  Frequently  the  vision  over  this 
Siberian  prairie  was  uninterrupted  for  several  miles.  There 
was  a  thin  covering  of  snow  on  the  open  ground,  and  the 
dead  grass  peered  above  the  surface  with  a  suggestion  of 
summer  fertility. 

Shortly  after  noon  I  looked  through  the  eddies  of  snow  that 
whirled  in  the  frosty  air,  and  distinguished  the  outline  of  a 
church.  Another  and  another  followed,  and  very  soon  the 
roofs  and  walls  of  the  more  prominent  buildings  in  Tomsk 
were  visible.    As  we  entered  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city, 


SECURITY   FOR   HOTEL  BILLS. 


503 


and  passed  a  capacious  powder-magazine,  our  yemshick  tied 
up  his  bell-tongues  in  obedience  to  the  municipal  law.  Our 
arrival  inside  the  city  limits  was  marked  by  the  most  respect- 
ful silence. 

We  named  a  certain  hotel  but  the  yemshick  coolly  took  us 
to  another  which  he  assured  us  was  "acleecliny  "  (excellent). 
As  the  exterior  and  the  appearance  of  the  servants  promised 
fairly,  we  made  no  objection,  and  allowed  our  baggage  un- 
loaded. The  last  I  saw  of  our  yemshick  he  was  receiving  a 
subsidy  from  the  landlord  in  consideration  of  having  taken 
us  thither.  The  doctor  said  the  establishment  was  better 
than  the  one  he  first  proposed  to  patronize,  so  that  we  had  no 
serious  complaint  against  the  management  of  the  affair. 
Hotel  keepers  in  Siberia  are  obliged  to  pay  a  commission  to 
whoever  brings  them  patrons,  a  practice  not  unknown,  I  be- 
lieve, in  American  cities. 

We  engaged  two  rooms,  one  large,  and.  the  other  of  me- 
dium size.  The  larger  apartment  contained  two  sofas,  ten 
or  twelve  chairs,  three  tables,  a  boy,  a  bedstead,  and  a  cham- 
ber-maid. The  boy  and  the  maid  disappeared  with  a  quart 
or  so  of  dirt  they  had  swept  from  the  floor.  We  ordered 
dinner,  and  took  our  ease  in  our  inn.  Our  baggage  piled  in 
one  corner  of  the  room  would  have  made  a  creditable  stock 
for  an  operator  in  the  "  Elbow  Market"  at  Moscow.  We 
thawed  our  beards,  washed,  changed  our  clothing,  and  pre- 
tended we  felt  none  the  worse  for  our  jolting  over  the  rough 
road  from  Krasnoyarsk. 

The  hotel,  though  Asiatic,  was  kept  on  the  European  plan. 
The  landlord  demanded  our  passports  before  we  removed  our 
outer  garments,  and  apologized  by  saying  the  regulations 
were  very  strict.  The  documents  went  at  once  to  the  police, 
and  returned  in  the  morning  with  the  visa  of  the  chief. 
Throughout  Russia  a  hotel  proprietor  generally  keeps  the  pass- 
ports of  his  patrons  until  their  bills  are  paid,  but  this  land- 
lord trusted  in  our  honor,  and  returned  the  papers  at  once. 
The  visa  certified  there  were  no  charges  against  us,  pecuniary 
or  otherwise,  and  allowed  us  to  remain  or  depart  at  our  pleas- 


504 


VISIT   THE  VICE-GOVERNOR. 


ure.  It  is  a  Russian  custom  for  the  police  to  be  informed  of 
claims  against  persons  suspected  of  intent  to  run  away.  The 
individual  cannot  obtain  authority  to  depart  until  his  accounts 
are  settled.  Formerly  the  law  required  every  person,  native 
and  foreign,  about  to  leave  Russia,  to  advertise  his  intention 
through  a  newspaper.  This  formula  is  now  dispensed  with, 
but  the  intending  traveler  must  produce  a  receipt  in  full  from 
his  hotel  keeper. 

At  the  hotel  we  found  a  gentleman  from  Eastern  Siberia 
on  his  way  to  St.  Petersburg.  He  left  Irkutsk  two  days  be- 
hind me,  passed  us  in  Krasnoyarsk,  and  came  to  grief  in  a 
partial  overturn  five  miles  from  Tomsk.  He  was  waiting  to 
have  his  broken  vehicle  thoroughly  repaired  before  venturing 
on  the  steppe.  He  had  a  single  vashok  in  which  he  stowed 
himself,  wife,  three  children,  and  a  governess.  How  the 
whole  party  could  be  packed  into  the  carriage  I  was  at  a  loss 
to  imagine.  Its  limits  must  have  been  suggestive  of  the  close 
quarters  of  a  can  of  sardines. 

"We  used  our  furs  for  bed  clothing  and  slept  on  the  sofas, 
less  comfortably  I  must  confess  than  in  the  sleigh.  The  close 
atmosphere  of  a  Russian  house  is  not  as  agreeable  to  my 
lungs  as  the  open  air,  and  after  a  long  journey  one's  first 
night  in  a  warm  room  is  not  refreshing.  There  was  no  pub- 
lic table  at  the  hotel ;  meals  were  served  in  our  room,  and 
each  item  was  charged  separately  at  prices  about  like  those 
of  Irkutsk. 

In  the  morning  we  put  on  our  best  clothes,  and  visited  the 
gubernatorial  mansion.  The  governor  was  at  St.  Petersburg, 
and  we  were  received  by  the  Vice-Governor,  an  amiable  gen- 
tleman of  about  fifty  years,  who  reminded  me  of  General  S. 
R.  Curtis.  Before  our  interview  we  waited  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes  at  one  end  of  a  large  hall.  The  Yice-Governor  was 
at  the  other  end  listening  to  a  woman  whose  streaming  eyes 
and  choked  utterance  showed  that  her  story  was  one  of  grief. 
The  kind  hearted  man  appeared  endeavoring  to  soothe  her. 
I  could  not  help  hearing  the  conversation  though  ignorant  of 


LOCATION  OP  TOMSK. 


505 


its  purport,  and,  as  the  scene  closed,  I  thought  I  had  not 
known  before  the  extent  of  pathos  in  the  Russian  language. 

We  had  a  pleasant  interview  with  the  vice-governor  who 
gave  us  passports  to  Barnaool,  on  learning  that  we  wished  to 
visit  that  place.  Among' those  who  called  during  our  stay 
was  the  golovah  of  Tomsk,  a  man  whose  physical  proportions 
resembled  those  of  the  renowned  Wouter  Yan  Twiller,  as 
described  by  Washington  Irving.  Every  golovah  I  met  in 
Siberia  was  of  aldermanic  proportions,  and  I  wondered 
whether  physical  developments  had  any  influence  in  selections 
for  this  office.  Just  before  leaving  the  governor's  residence, 
we  were  introduced  to  Mr.  Naschinsky,  of  Barnaool,  to  whom 
I  had  a  letter  of  introduction  from  his  cousin,  Paul  Anossoff. 
As  he  was  to  start  for  home  that  evening,  we  arranged  to  ac- 
company him.  Our  visit  ended,  we  drove  through  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  saw  the  chief  features  of  the  town. 

Tomsk  takes  its  name  from  the  river  Tom,  on  whose  banks 
it  is  built.  It  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  great  Baraba  steppe, 
and  has  about  twenty  thousand  inhabitants  of  the  usual  varied 
character  of  a  Russian  population.  I  saw  many  fine  houses, 
and  was  told  that  in  society  and  wealth  the  city  was  little 
inferior  to  Irkutsk.  Here,  as  at  other  places,  large  fortunes 
have  been  made  in  gold  mining.  Several  heavy  capitalists 
were  mentioned  as  owners  of  concessions  in  the  mining  dis- 
tricts. Many  of  their  laborers  passed  the  winter  at  Tomsk 
in  the  delights  of  urban  life.  The  city  is  of  considerable  im- 
portance as  it  controls  much  of  the  commerce  of  Siberia. 
The  site  is  picturesque,  being  partly  on  the  low  ground  next 
the  river,  and  partly  on  the  hills  above  it.  In  contemplating 
the  location,  I  was  reminded  of  Quebec.  I  found  much  activ- 
ity in  the  streets  and  market  places,  and  good  assortments  of 
merchandise  in  the  shops. 

Near  our  hotel,  over  a  wide  ravine,  was  a  bridge,  constant- 
ly traversed  by  vehicles  and  pedestrians,  and  lighted  at  night 
by  a  double  row  of  lamps.  Some  long  buildings  near  the 
river,  and  just  outside  the  principal  market  had  a  likeness  to 
American  railway  stations,  and  the  quantities  of  goods  piled 


506 


PROPOSED   WATER  ROUTE. 


on  their  verandas  aided  the  illusion.  About  noon  the  mar- 
ket-place was  densely  crowded,  and  there  appeared  a  brisk 
traffic  in  progress.  There  was  a  liberal  array  of  articles  to 
eat,  wear,  or  use,  with  a  very  fair  quantity  for  which  no  use 
could  be  imagined. 

In  summer  there  is  a  waterway  from  Tomsk  to  Tumen,  a 
thousand  miles  to  the  westward,  and  a  large  amount  of  freight 
to  and  from  Siberia  passes  over  it.  Steamers  descend  the 
Tom  to  the  Ob,  which  they  follow  to  the  Irtish.  They  then 
ascend  the  Irtish,  the  Tobol,  and  the  Tura  to  Tumen,  the  head 
of  navigation.  The  government  proposes  a  railway  between 
Perm  and  Tumen  to  unite  the  great  water  courses  of  Europe 
and  Siberia.  A  railway  from  Tomsk  to  Irkutsk  is  among  the 
things  hoped  for  by  the  Siberians,  and  will  be  accomplished 
at  some  future  day.  The  arguments  urged  against  its  con- 
struction are  the  length  of  the  route,  the  sparseness  of  pop- 
ulation, and  the  cheap  rates  at  which  freight  is  now  trans- 
ported. Probably  Siberia  would  be  no  exception  to  the  rule 
that  railways  create  business,  and  sustain  it,  but  I  presume  it 
will  be  many  years  before  the  locomotive  has  a  permanent 
way  through  the  country. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  proposed  to  open  a  complete  water 
route  between  Tumen  and  Kiachta.  The  most  eastern  point 
that  a  steamer  could  attain  in  the  valley  of  the  Ob  is  on  the 
river  Ket.  A  canal  about  thirty  miles  long  would  connect 
the  Ket  with  the  Yenesei,  whence  it  was  proposed  to  follow 
the  Angara,  Lake  Baikal,  and  the  Selenga  to  Oust  Kiachta. 
But  the  swiftness  of  the  Angara,  and  its  numerous  rapids, 
seventy-eight  in  all,  stood  in  the  way  of  the  project.  At  pres- 
ent no  steamers  can  ascend  the  Angara,  and  barges  can  only 
descend  when  the  water  is  high.  To  make  the  channel  safely 
navigable  would  require  a  heavy  outlay  of  money  for  blasting 
rocks,  and  digging  canals.  I  could  not  ascertain  that  there 
was  any  probability  of  the  scheme  being  realized. 

In  1866  twelve  steamers  were  running  between  Tumen  and 
Tomsk.  These  boats  draw  about  two  feet  of  water,  and  tow 
one  or  more  barges  in  which  freight  is  piled.    No  merchan- 


EDUCATIONAL  PRIVILEGES. 


507 


dise  is  carried  on  the  boats.  Twelve  days  are  consumed  in 
the  voyage  with  barges  ;  without  them  it  can  be  made  in  a 
week.  All  the  steamers  yet  constructed  are  for  towing  pur- 
poses, the  passenger  traffic  not  being  worth  attention.  The 
golovah  of  Tomsk  is  a  heavy  owner  in  these  steamboats,  and 
he  proposed  increasing  their  number  and  enlarging  his  busi- 
ness. A  line  of  smaller  boats  has  been  started  to  connect 
Tomsk  with  Achinsk.  The  introduction  of  steam  on  the 
Siberian  rivers  has  given  an  impetus  to  commerce,  and  re- 
vealed the  value  of  certain  interests  of  the  country.  An  ac- 
tive competition  in  the  same  direction  would  prove  highly 
beneficial,  and  bye  and  bye  they  will  have  the  railway. 

During  my  ride  about  the  streets  the  isvoshchik  pointed 
out  a  large  building,  and  explained  that  it  was  the  seminary 
or  high  school  of  Tomsk.  I  was  told  that  the  city,  like 
Irkutsk,  had  a  female  school  or  "Institute,"  and  an  establish- 
ment for  educating  the  children  of  the  priests.  The  schools 
in  the  cities  and  large  towns  of  Siberia  have  a  good  reputa- 
tion, and  receive  much  praise  from  those  who  patronize  them. 
The  Institute  at  Irkutsk  is  especially  renowned,  and  had  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1866  something  more  than  a  hundred  board- 
ing pupils.  The  gymnasium  or  school  for  boys  was  equally 
flourishing,  and  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Superinten- 
dent of  Public  Instruction  for  Eastern  Siberia.  The  branches 
of  education  comprise  the  ordinary  studies  of  schools  every- 
where— arithmetic,  grammar,  and  geography,  with  reading 
and  writing.  When  these  elementary  studies  are  mastered 
the  higher  mathematics,  languages,  music,  and  painting  fol- 
low. In  the  primary  course  the  prayers  of  the  church  and 
the  manner  of  crossing  one's  self  are  considered  essential. 

Most  of  those  who  can  afford  it  employ  private  teachers 
for  their  children,  and  educate  them  at  home.  The  large 
schools  in  the  towns  are  patronized  by  the  upper  and  middle 
classes,  and  sometimes  pupils  come  from  long  distances. 
There  are  schools  for  the  peasant  children,  but  not  sufficiently 
numerous  to  make  education  general.  It  is  a  lamentable  fact 
that  the  peasants  as  a  class  do  not  appreciate  the  importance 


508 


GOVERNMENT  SCHOOLS. 


of  knowledge.  Hitherto  all  these  peasant  schools  have  been 
controlled  by  the  church,  the  subordinate  priests  being  ap- 
pointed to  their  management. 

Quite  recently  the  Emperor  has  ordered  a  system  of  public 
instruction  throughout  the  empire.  Schools  are  to  be  estab- 
lished, houses  built,  and  teachers  paid  by  the  government. 
Education  is  to  be  taken  entirely  from  the  hands  of  the  priests, 
and  entrusted  to  the  best  qualified  instructors  without  regard 
to  race  or  religion.  The  common  school  house  in  the  land 
of  the  czars  !  Universal  education  among  the  subjects  of  the 
Autocrat !  Well  may  the  other  monarchies  of  Europe  fear 
the  growing  power  and  intelligence  of  Russia.  May  God 
bless  Alexander,  and  preserve  him  many  years  to  the  people 
whose  prosperity  he  holds  so  dearly  at  heart. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


HEN  we  left  Tomsk  in  the  evening,  the  snow  was 
falling  rapidly,  and  threatened  to  obliterate  the 
track  along  the  frozen  surface  of  the  river.  There  were  no 
post  horses  at  the  station,  and  we  were  obliged  to  charter  pri- 
vate teams  at  double  the  usual  rates.  The  governor  warned 
us  that  we  might  have  trouble  in  securing  horses,  and  re- 
quested us  to  refer  to  him  if  the  smotretal  did  not  honor  our 
padarashnia.  We  did  not  wish  to  trespass  further  on  his 
kindness,  and  concluded  to  submit  to  the  extortion  and  say 
nothing.  The  station  keeper  owned  the  horses  we  hired,  and 
we  learned  he  was  accustomed  to  declare  his  regular  troikas 
"  out "  on  all  possible  occasions.  Of  course,  a  traveler  anx- 
ious to  proceed,  would  not  hesitate  long  at  paying  two  or  three 
roubles  extra. 

We  dashed  over  the  rough  ice  of  the  Tom  for  a  few  versts 
and  then  found  a  road  on  solid  earth.  We  intended  to  visit 
Barnaool,  and  for  this  purpose  left  the  great  road  at  the  third 
station,  and  turned  southward.  The  falling  snow  beat  so 
rapidly  into  our  sleigh  that  we  closed  the  vehicle  and  ignored 
the  outer  world.  Mr.  Naschinsky  started  with  us  from  Tomsk, 
but  after  a  few  stations  he  left  us  and  hurried  away  at  courier 
speed  toward  Barnaool.  He  proved  an  avant  courier  for  us, 
and  warned  the  station  masters  of  our  approach,  so  that  we 
found  horses  ready. 

On  this  side  road  the  contract  requires  but  three  troikas  at 
a  station.  Three  sleighs  together  were  an  unusual  number, 
so  that  the  smotretals  generally  obtained  one  or  both  our 
teams  from  the  village.    On  the  last  half  of  the  route  the 

(509) 


510 


DISAGREEABLE  DISTANCES. 


yemshicks  did  not  take  us  to  the  stations  but  to  the  houses 
of  their  friends  where  we  promptly  obtained  horses  at  the 
regular  rates.  The  peasants  between  Tomsk  and  Barnaool 
own  many  horses,  and  are  pleased  at  the  opportunity  to  earn 
a  little  cash  with  them. 

Snow,  darkness,  and  slumber  prevented  our  seeing  much 
of  the  road  during  the  night.  In  the  morning,  I  found  we 
were  traveling  through  an  undulating  and  generally  wooded 
country,  occasionally  crossing  rivers  and  small  lakes  on  the 
ice.  The  track  was  a  wonderful  improvement  over  that  be- 
tween Tomsk  and  Krasnoyarsk.  The  stations  or  peasant 
houses  where  we  changed  horses,  were  not  as  good  as  those 
on  the  great  road.  The  rooms  were  frequently  small  and 
heated  to  an  uncomfortable  degree.  In  one  house,  notwith- 
standing the  great  heat,  several  children  were  seated  on  the 
top  of  the  stove,  and  apparently  enjoying  themselves.  The 
yemshicks  and  attendants  were  less  numerous  than  on  the 
great  road,  but  we  could  find  no  fault  with  their  service.  On 
one  course  of  twenty  versts  our  sleigh  was  driven  by  a  boy 
of  thirteen,  though  seemingly  not  more  than  ten.  He  han- 
dled the  whip  and  reins  with  the  skill  of  a  veteran,  and 
earned  an  extra  gratuity  from  his  passengers. 

The  road  was  marked  by  upright  poles  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high  at  distances  of  one  or  two  hundred  feet.  There  were 
distance  posts  with  the  usual  black  and  white  alternations, 
but  the  figures  were  generally  indistinct,  and  many  posts  were 
altogether  wanting.  On  the  main  road  through  the  whole 
length  of  Siberia,  there  is  a  post  at  every  verst,  marking  in 
large  numbers  the  distance  to  the  first  station  on  either  side 
of  it.  At  the  stations  there  are  generally  posts  that  show  the 
distance  to  Moscow,  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  provincial  or 
4  government '  capitals  on  either  side. 

For  a  long  time  1  could  never  rid  myself  of  a  sensation  of 
'goneness'  when  I  read  the  figures  indicating  the  distance  to 
St.  Petersburg.  Above  seven  thousand  they  were  positively 
frightful ;  between  six  and  seven  thousand,  they  were  disa- 
greeable to  say  the  least.    Among  the  five  thousand  and  odd 


UNCOMFORTABLE  WEATHER. 


511 


versts,  I  began  to  think  matters  improving,  and  when  I  de- 
scended below  four  thousand,  I  felt  as  if  in  my  teens.  The 
proverb  says,  "  a  watched  pot  never  boils."  I  can  testify  that 
these  distance  figures  diminished  very  slowly,  and  sometimes 
they  seemed  to  remain  nearly  the  same  from  day  to  day. 

The  snow  storm  that  began  when  we  left  Tomsk,  contin- 
ued through  the  night  and  the  following  day.  The  air  was 
warm,  and  there  was  little  wind,  so  that  our  principal  incon- 
venience was  from  the  snow  flakes  in  our  faces,  and  the  grad- 
ual filling  of  the  road.  Toward  sunset  a  wind  arose.  Every 
hour  it  increased,  and  before  midnight  there  was  good  pros- 
pect of  our  losing  our  way  or  being  compelled  to  halt  until 
daybreak.  The  snow  whirled  in  thick  masses  through  the 
air,  and  utterly  blinded  us  when  we  attempted  to  look  out. 
The  road  filled  with  drifts,  and  we  had  much  difficulty  in 
dragging  through  them.  The  greatest  personal  inconvenience 
was  the  sifting  of  snow  through  the  crevices  of  our  sleigh 
cover.  At  every  halt  we  underwent  a  vigorous  shaking  to 
remove  the  superfluous  snow  from  our  furs. 

A  storm  with  high  winds  in  this  region  takes  the  name  of 
hour  an.  It  is  analogous  to  the  poorga  of  Northeastern  Sibe- 
ria and  Kamchatka,  and  may  occur  at  any  season  of  the 
year. 

Bourans  are  oftentimes  very  violent,  especially  in  the  open 
steppe.  Any  one  who  has  experienced  the  norther  of  Texas, 
or  the  bora  of  Southern  Austria,  can  form  an  idea  of  these 
Siberian  storms.  The  worst  are  when  the  thermometer  sinks 
to  twenty-five  degrees  or  more  below  zero,  and  the  snow  is 
dashed  about  with  terrific  fury.  At  such  times  they  are 
almost  insupportable,  and  the  traveler  who  ventures  to  face 
them  runs  great  risk  of  his  life.  Many  persons  have  been 
lost  in  the  winter  storms,  and  all  experienced  voyagers  are 
reluctant  to  brave  their  violence.  In  summer  the  wind  spends 
its  force  on  the  earth  and  sand  which  it  whirls  in  large  clouds. 
A  gentleman  told  me  he  had  seen  the  dry  bed  of  a  river  where 
there  were  two  feet  of  sand,  swept  clean  to  the  rock  by  the 
strength  of  the  wind  alone. 


512 


FAST   IN   THE  DRIFTS. 


A  little  past  daylight  the  sleigh  came  to  a  sudden  stop  des- 
pite the  efforts  of  all  concerned.  The  last  hundred  versts  of 
our  ride  we  had  four  horses  to  each  sleigh,  and  their  united 
strength  was  not  more  than  sufficient  for  our  purpose.  The 
drift  where  we  stopped  was  at  least  three  feet  deep,  and  pretty 
closely  packed.  We,  that  is  to  say,  the  horses  and  yemshicks, 
made  several  efforts  but  could  not  carry  the  sleigh  through. 
The  mammoth  sleigh  came  up  and  the  two  yemshicks  trod  a 
path  through  the  worst  part  of  the  drift.  The  doctor  and  I 
descended  from  the  vehicle,  and  assisted  by  looking  on.  The 
sleigh  thus  lightened,  was  dragged  through  the  obstruction 
but  unfortunately  turned  on  its  beam  ends,  and  filled  with 
snow  before  it  could  be  righted. 

The  bouran  was  from  the  south,  and  raised  the  tempera- 
ture above  the  freezing  point.  The  increasing  heat  became 
uncomfortable  after  the  cold  I  had  experienced.  The  horses 
did  not  turn  white  from  perspiration  as  in  colder  days,  and 
the  exertion  of  travel  set  them  panting  as  in  summer.  The 
drivers  carefully  knotted  their  (the  horses')  tails  to  prevent 
them  (the  tails)  from  filling  with  snow,  but  the  precaution 
was  not  entirely  successful.  The  snow  was  of  the  right  con- 
sistency for  a  school  boy's  frolic,  and  would  have  thrown  a 
group  of  American  urchins  into  ecstacies.  Whenever  our 
pace  quickened  to  a  trot  or  gallop,  the  larboard  horse  threw 
a  great  many  snowballs  with  his  feet.  He  seemed  to  aim  at\ 
my  face,  and  every  few  minutes  I  received  what  the  prize 
ring  would  call i  plumpers  in  the  peeper,  and  sockdolagers  on 
the  potato-trap.' 

We  drove  into  Barnaool  about  forty-four  hours  after  leav- 
ing Tomsk.  At  the  hotel  we  found  three  rooms  containing 
chairs  and  tables  in  profusion,  but  not  a  bed  or  sofa.  Of 
course  we  were  expected  to  supply  our  own  bedding,  and 
need  not  be  particular  about  a  bedstead.  The  worst  part  of 
the  affair  was  the  wet  condition  of  our  furs.  My  sheepskin 
sleigh  robe  was  altogether  too  damp  for  use,  and  I  sent  it  to 
be  dried  in  the  kitchen.  Several  of  my  fur  garments  went 
the  same  way.    Even  my  shooba,  which  I  carried  in  a  bag, 


CENTER   OF   THE   MINING   DISTRICT.  513 


had  a  feeling  of  dampness  when  I  unfolded  it,  and  in  fact  the 
only  dry  things  about  us,  were  our  throats.  We  set  things 
drying  as  best  we  could,  and  then  ordered  dinner.  Before 
our  sleighs  were  unloaded,  a  policeman  took  our  passports 
and  saved  us  all  trouble  of  going  to  the  station. 

In  the  evening  I  accompanied  Dr.  Schmidt  on  a  visit  to  a 
friend  and  fellow  member  of  the  Academy  of  Science.  We 
found  a  party  of  six  or  eight  persons,  and,  as  soon  as  I  was 
introduced,  a  gentleman  despatched  a  servant  to  his  house. 
The  man  returned  with  a  roll  of  sheet  music  from  which  our 
host's  daughter  favored  us  with  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner,' ' 
and  "  Hail  Columbia,"  as  a  greeting  to  the  first  American 
visitor  to  Barnaool.  On  our  return  to  our  lodgings  we  made 
our  beds  on  the  floor,  and  slept  comfortably.  The  dampness 
of  the  furs  developed  a  rheumatic  pain  in  my  shoulder  that 
stiffened  me  somewhat  inconveniently. 

We  breakfasted  upon  cakes  and  tea  at  a  late  hour  in  the 
morning,  and  then  went  to  pay  our  respects  to  General  Freeze, 
the  Nachalnik  or  Director  of  Mines,  and  to  Colonel  Filoff, 
chief  of  the  smelting  works.  Both  these  officers  were  some- 
what past  the  middle  age,  quiet  and  affable,  and  each  enjoyed 
himself  in  coloring  a  meerschaum.  They  have  been  engaged 
in  mining  matters  during  many  years,  and  are  said  to  be 
thoroughly  versed  in  their  profession.  After  visiting  these 
gentlemen  we  called  upon  other  official  and  civilian  residents 
of  the  city. 

Barnaool  is  the  center  of  direction  of  the  mining  enterprises 
of  the  Altai  mountains,  and  has  a  population  of  ten  or  twelve 
thousand.  Almost  its  entire  business  is  in  someway  connected 
with  mining  affairs,  and  there  are  many  engineer  officers  con- 
stantly stationed  there.  I  met  some  of  these  gentlemen  dur- 
ing my  stay,  and  was  indebted  to  them  for  information  con- 
cerning the  manner  of  working  mines  and  reducing  ores. 
The  city  contains  a  handsome  array  of  public  buildings,  in- 
cluding the  mining  bureau,  the  hospital,  and  the  zavod  or 
smelting  establishment.  General  Freeze,  the  Nachalnik,  is 
director  and  chief,  not  only  of  the  city  but  of  the  entire  min- 
ing district  of  which  Barnaool  is  the  center. 
33 


514 


PAY   OF   THE  LABORERS. 


The  first  discoveries  of  precious  metals  in  the  Altai  regions 
were  made  by  one  of  the  Demidoffs  who  was  sent  there  by 
Peter  the  Great.  A  monument  in  the  public  square  at  Bar- 
naool  records  his  services,  in  ever  during  brass.  I  was  shown 
an  autograph  letter  from  the  Empress  Elizabeth  giving  direc- 
tions to  the  Nachalnik  who  controlled  the  mines  during  her 
reign.  The  letter  is  kept  in  an  ivory  box  on  the  table  around 
which  the  mining  board  holds  its  sessions.  The  mines  of 
this  region  are  the  personal  property  of  the  Emperor,  and 
their  revenues  go  directly  to  the  crown.  I  was  told  that  the 
government  desires  to  sell  or  give  these  mines  into  private 
hands,  in  the  belief  that  the  resources  of  the  country  would 
be  more  thoroughly  developed.  The  day  before  my  depart- 
ure from  Barnaool,  I  learned  that  my  visit  had  reference  to 
the  possible  purchase  of  the  mining  works  by  an  American 
company:  I  hastened  to  assure  my  informant  that  I  had  no 
intention  of  buying  the  Altai  mountains  or  any  part  of  them. 

The  Nachalnik  visits  all  mines  and  smelting  works  in  his 
district  at  least  once  a  year,  and  is  constantly  in  receipt  of 
detailed  reports  of  operations  in  progress.  His  power  is 
almost  despotic,  and  like  the  governors  of  departments  through- 
out all  Siberia,  he  can  manage  affairs  pretty  much  in  his  own 
way.  There  are  no  convict  laborers  in  his  district,  the  work- 
men at  the  mines  and  zavods  being  peasants  subject  to  the 
orders  of  government.  Each  man  in  the  district  may  be 
called  upon  to  work  for  the  Emperor  at  fixed  wages  of  money 
and  rations.  I  believe  the  daily  pay  of  a  laborer  is  some- 
what less  than  forty  copecks.  A  compromise  for  saints  days 
and  other  festivals  is  made  by  employing  the  men  only  two 
weeks  out  of  three.  Relays  are  so  arranged  as  to  make  no 
stoppage  of  the  works  except  during  the  Christmas  holidays. 

I  saw  many  sheets  of  the  geological  map  of  the  Altai  re- 
gion, which  has  been  a  long  time  in  preparation,  and  will  re- 
quire several  years  to  complete.  Every  mountain,  hill,  brook, 
and  valley  is  laid  down  by  careful  surveyors,  and  when  the 
map  is  finished  it  will  be  one  of  the  finest  and  best  in  the 


SURVEY  OF   THE   MINING   DISTRICT.  515 

world.  One  corps  is  engaged  in  surveying  and  mapping 
while  another  explores  and  opens  mines. 

When  the  snows  are  melted  in  the  spring,  and  the  floods 
have  receeded  from  the  streams,  the  exploring  parties  are  sent 
into  the  mountains.  Each  officer  has  a  particular  valley  as- 
signed him,  and  commands  a  well  equipped  body  of  men. 
He  is  expected  to  remain  in  the  mountains  until  he  has  fin- 
ished his  work,  or  until  compelled  to  leave  by  the  approach 
of  winter.  The  party  procures  meat  from  gam,e  of  which 
there*  is  nearly  always  an  abundant  supply. 

Holes  are  dug  at  regular  intervals,  on  the  system  I  have 
already  described  in  the  mines  of  the  Yenesei.  The  rocks  in 
and  around  the  valley  are  carefully  examined  for  traces  of 
silver,  and  many  specimens  have  been  collected  for  the  geolog- 
ical cabinet  at  Barnaool.  Maps  are  made  showing  the  local- 
ity of  each  test  hole  in  the  valley,  and  the  spot  whence  every 
specimen  of  rock  is  obtained.  On  the  return  of  the  party  its 
reports  and  specimens  are  delivered  to  the  mining  bureau. 
The  ores  go  to  the  laboratory  to  be  assayed,  and  the  speci- 
mens of  rock  are  carefully  sorted  and  examined. 

Gold  washings  are  conducted  on  the  general  plan  of  those 
in  the  Yeneseisk  government,  the  details  varying  according 
to  circumstances.  A  representation  of  the  principal  silver 
mine — somewhat  on  the  plan  of  Barnum's  "Niagara  with 
Real  Water" — was  shown  me  in  the  museum.  In  general 
features  the  mines  are  not  materially  unlike  silver  mines  else- 
where. There  are  shafts,  adits,  and  levels  just  as  in  the  mines 
of  Colorado  and  California.  The  Russians  give  the  name  of 
priesk  to  a  mine  where  gold  is  washed  from  the  earth.  The 
silver  mine  with  its  shafts  in  the  solid  rock  is  called  a  rood- 
nik.  As  before  stated,  the  word  zavod  is  applied  to  found- 
ries, smelting  works,  and  manufactories  in  general. 

Colonel  Filoff  invited  the  doctor  and  myself  to  visit  the 
zavod  at  Barnaool  on  the  second  day  after  our  arrival.  As 
he  spoke  no  language  with  which  I  was  familiar,  the  colonel 
placed  me  in  charge  of  a  young  officer  fluent  in  French,  who 
took  great  pains  to  explain  the  modus  operandi.    The  zavod 


516 


ZAVOD    OR   IRON  FOUNDRY. 


is  on  a  grand  scale,  and  employs  about  six  hundred  laborers. 
It  is  enclosed  in  a  large  yard  with  high  walls,  and  reminded 


IN  THE  MINE. 


me  of  a  Pennsylvania  iron  foundry  or  the  establishment  just 
below  Detroit.  A  sentry  at  the  gate  presented  arms  as  we 
passed,  and  I  observed  that  the  rule  of  no  admittance  except 
on  business  was  rigidly  enforced. 

In  the  yard  we  were  first  taken  to  piles  of  ore  which  ap- 
peared to  an  unpracticed  eye  like  heaps  of  old  mortar  and 
broken  granite.  These  piles  were  near  a  stream  which  fur- 
nishes power  for  moving  the  machinery  of  the  establishment. 
The  ore  was  exposed  to  the  air  and  snow,  but  the  coal  for 
smelting  was  carefully  housed.  There  were  many  sheds  for 
storage  within  easy  distance  of  the  furnaces.  The  latter 
were  of  brick  with  tall  and  substantial  chimneys,  and  the 
outer  walls  that  surrounded  the  whole  were  heavily  and  strong- 
ly built. 


SILVER  SMELTING. 


517 


Charcoal  is  burned  in  consequence  of  the  cheapness  and 
abundance  of  wood.  I  was  told  that  an  excellent  quality  of 
stove  coal  existed  in  the  vicinity,  and  would  be  used  when- 
ever it  proved  most  economical.  Nearly  all  the  ore  contains 
copper,  silver,  and  lead,  while  the  rest  is  deficient  in  the  last 
named  article.  The  first  kind  is  smelted  without  the  addi- 
tion of  lead,  and  sometimes  passes  through  six  or  seven  re- 
ductions. For  the  ore  containing  only  copper  and  silver  the 
process  by  evaporation  of  lead  is  employed.  Formerly  the 
lead  was  brought  from  Nerchinsk  or  purchased  in  England, 
the  land  transport  in  either  case  being  very  expensive.  Sev- 
eral years  ago  lead  was  found  in  the  Altai  mountains,  and 
the  supply  is  now  sufficient  for  all  purposes. 

The  lead  absorbs  the  silver,  and  leaves  the  copper  in  the 
refuse  matter.  This  was  formerly  thrown  away,  but  by  a 
newly  invented  process  the  copper  is  extracted  and  saved. 
The  production  of  silver  in  the  Altai  mines  is  about  a  thou- 
sand and  fifty  poods  annually,  or  forty  thousand  pounds  avoir- 
dupois. The  silver  is  cast  into  bars  or  cakes  about  ten  inches 
square,  and  weighing  from  seventy  to  a  hundred  pounds  each. 

Colonel  FilofT  showed  us  into  the  room  where  the  silver  is 
stored.  Two  soldiers  were  on  guard  and  six  or  eight  others 
rested  outside.  A  sergeant  brought  a  sealed  box  which  con- 
tained the  key  of  the  safe.  First  the  box  and  then  the  safe 
were  opened  at  the  colonel's  order,  and  when  we  had  satis- 
fied our  curiosity,  the  safe  was  locked  and  the  key  restored  to 
its  place  of  deposit.  The  colonel  carried  the  seal  that  closed 
the  box,  and  the  sergeant  was  responsible  for  the  integrity  of 
the  wax. 

The  cakes  had  a  dull  hue,  somewhat  lighter  than  that  of 
lead,  and  were  of  a  convenient  shape  for  handling.  Each 
cake  had  its  weight,  and  value,  and  result  of  assay  stamped 
upon  it,  and  I  was  told  that  it  was  assayed  again  at  St.  Peters- 
burg to  guard  against  the  algebraic  process  of  substitution. 
About  thirty  poods  of  gold  are  extracted  from  every  thousand 
poods  of  silver  after  the  treasure  reaches  St.  Petersburg. 
The  silver  is  extracted  from  the  lead  used  to  absorb  it,  the 


518 


MINING  IN  SIBERIA. 


latter  being  again  employed  while  the  former  goes  on  its  long 
journey  to  the  banks  of  the  Neva. 

The  ore  continues  to  pass  through  successive  reductions  un- 
til a  pood  of  it  contains  no  more  than  three-fourths  a  zolotink 
of  silver  ;  less  than  that  proportion  will  not  pay  expenses.  I 
was  told  that  the  annual  cost  of  working  the  mines  equaled 
the  value  of  the  silver  produced.  The  gold  contained  in  the 
silver  is  the  only  item  of  profit  to  the  crown.  About  thirty 
thousand  poods  of  copper  are  produced  annually  in  this  dis- 
trict, but  none  of  the  copper  zavods  are  at  Barnaool. 

All  gold  produced  from  the  mines  of  Siberia,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  that  around  Nerchinsk,  is  sent  to  Barnaool  to  be 
smelted.  This  work  is  performed  in  a  room  about  fifteen  feet 
square,  the  furnaces  being  fixed  in  its  centre  like  parlor 
stoves  of  unusual  size.  The  smelting  process  continues  four 
months  of  each  year,  and  during  this  time  about  twelve  hun- 
dred poods  of  gold  are  melted  and  cast  into  bars.  This  work, 
for  1866,  was  finished  a  few  days  before  my  arrival,  and  the 
furnaces  were  utterly  devoid  of  heat.    In  the  yard  at  the 


STRANGE  COINCIDENCE. 

zavod,  I  saw  a  dozen  or  more  sleds,  and  on  each  of  them 
there  was  an  iron-bound  box  filled  with  bars  of  gold.  This 


A   SUSPICIOUS    CIRCUMSTANCE.  519 

train  was  ready  to  leave  under  strong  guard  for  St.  Peters- 
burg. 

The  morning  after  my  visit  to  the  zavod  it  was  reported 
that  a  soldier  guarding  the  sled  train  had  been  killed  during 
the  night.  The  incident  was  a  topic  of  conversation  for  the 
rest  of  my  stay,  but  I  obtained  no  clear  account  of  the  affair. 
All  agreed  that  a  sentinel  was  murdered,  and  one  of  the  boxes 
plundered  of  several  bars  of  gold,  but  beyond  this  there  were 
conflicting  statements.  It  was  the  first  occurrence  of  the 
kind  at  Barnaool,  and  naturally  excited  the  peaceful  inhab- 
itants. 

The  doctor  trusted  that  the  affair  would  not  be  associated 
wifch  our  visit,  and  I  quite  agreed  with  him.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  future  historian  of  Barnaool  will  not  mention  the 
murder  and  robbery  in  the  same  paragraph  with  the  distin- 
guished arrival  of  Dr.  Schmidt  and  an  American  traveler. 

The  rich  miners  send  their  gold  once  a  year  to  Barnaool, 
the  poorer  ones  twice  a  year.  Those  in  pressing  need  of 
money  receive  certificates  of  deposit  as  soon  as  their  gold  is 
cast  into  bars,  and  on  these  certificates  they  can  obtain  cash 
at  the  government  banks.  The  opulent  miners  remain  con- 
tent till  their  gold  reaches  the  capital,  and  is  coined.  Four 
or  six  months  may  thus  elapse  after  gold  has  left  Barnaool 
before  its  owner  obtains  returns. 


CHAPTER 


XLIV. 


THE  society  of  Barnaool  consists  of  the  mining  and  other 
officers,  with  a  larger  proportion  of  families  than  at 
Irkutsk.  It  had  a  more  quiet  and  reserved  character  than 
the  capital  of  Eastern  Siberia,  but  was  not  the  less  social 
and  hospitable.  Many  young  officers  of  the  mining  and  to- 
pographical departments  pass  their  summers  in  the  moun- 
tains and  their  winters  in  Barnaool.  The  cold  season  is 
therefore  the  gayest,  and  abounds  in  balls,  parties,  concerts, 
and  amateur  theatricals.  The  former  theatre  has  been  con- 
verted into  a  club-room. 

There  is  a  good  proportion,  for  a  Siberian  town,  of  elegant 
and  luxuriant  houses.  The  furniture  and  adornments  were 
quite  as  extensive  as  at  Irkutsk  or  Tomsk,  and  several  houses 
that  I  visited  would  have  been  creditable  in  Moscow  or  St. 
Petersburg.  It  is  no  little  wonder  to  find  all  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  of  Russian  life  in  the  southern  part  of  Siberia, 
on  the  borders  of  the  Kirghese  steppes. 

The  large  and  well  arranged  museum  contained  more  than 
I  could  even  glance  over  in  a  single  day.  There  were  models 
of  machines  used  in  gold-washing,  quartz  mills  fifty  years 
old,  and  almost  identical  with  those  of  the  present  day  ;  mod- 
els of  furnaces  and  zavods  in  various  parts  of  Siberia,  and 
full  delineations  of  the  principal  silver  mines  of  the  Altai. 
There  was  a  curious  steam  engine,  said  to  have  been  made 
at  Barnaool  in  1764,  and  used  for  blowing  the  furnaces.  I 
saw  a  fine  collection  of  minerals,  birds,  beasts,  and  other 
curiosities  of  the  Altai.  Particular  attention  was  called  to 
the  stuffed  skins  of  two  enormous  tigers  that  were  killed  sev- 

(520) 


RUSSIAN  EAGLES. 


521 


eral  years  ago  in  the  southern  part  of  the  district.  One  of 
them  fell  after  a  long  fight,  in  which  he  killed  one  of  his  as- 
sailants and  wounded  two  others. 

The  museum  contains  several  dead  specimens  of  the  bear- 
coot,  or  eagle  of  the  Altai.  I  saw  a  living  bird  of  this  species 
at  the  house  of  an  acquaintance.  The  bear  coot  is  larger  than 
the  American  eagle,  and  possesses  strength  enough  to  kill  a 
deer  or  wolf  with  perfect  ease.  Dr.  Duhmberg,  superinten- 
dent of  the  hospitals,  told  me  of  an  experiment  with  poison 
upon  one  of  these  birds.  He  began  by  giving  half  a  grain 
of  curavar,  a  poison  from  South  America.  It  had  no  percep- 
tible effect,  the  appetite  and  conduct  of  the  bird  being  un- 
changed. A  week  later  he  gave  four  grains  of  strychnine, 
and  saw  the  bird's  feathers  tremble  fifteen  minutes  after  the 
poison  was  swallowed.  Five  hours  later  the  patient  was  in 
convulsions,  but  his  head  was  not  affected,  and  he  recovered 
strength  and  appetite  on  the  next  day.  A  week  later  the 
bearcoot  swallowed  seven  grains  of  curavar,  and  showed  no 
change  for  two  days.  On  the  second  evening  he  went  into 
convulsions,  and  died  during  the  night. 

The  Kirghese  tame  these  eagles  and  employ  them  in  hunt- 
ing. A  gentleman  who  had  traveled  among  the  Kirghese 
told  me  he  had  seen  a  bearcoot  swoop  down  upon  a  full  grown 
deer  and  kill  him  in  a  few  minutes.  Sometimes  when  a  pack 
of  wolves  has  killed  and  begun  eating  a  deer,  the  feast  will 
be  interrupted  by  a  pair  of  bearcoots.  Two  birds  will  attack 
a  dozen  wolves,  and  either  kill  or  drive  them  away. 

Barnaool  is  quite  near  the  Kirghese  steppes.  One  of  my 
acquaintances  had  a  Kirghese  coachman,  a  tall,  well  formed 
man,  with  thick  lips  and  a  coppery  complexion.  I  establish- 
ed a  friendship  with  this  fellow,  and  arranged  that  he  should 
sit  for  his  portrait,  but  somehow  he  was  never  ready.  He 
brought  me  two  of  his  kindred,  and  I  endeavored  to  persuade 
the  group  to  be  photographed.  There  was  a  superstition 
among  them  that  it  would  be  detrimental  to  their  post  mor- 
tem repose  if  they  allowed  their  likenesses  on  this  earth  when 
they  themselves  should  leave  it.    I  offered  them  one,  two, 


522  CHARACTER    OF    THE  KIRGHESE. 

three,  and  even  five  roubles,  but  they  stubbornly  refused. 
Their  complexions  were  dark,  and  their  whole  physiognomy 
revealed  the  Tartar  blood.  They  wore  the  Russian  winter 
dress,  but  had  their  own  costume  for  state  occasions.  In  this 
part  of  Siberia  Kirghcse  are  frequently  found  in  Russian  em- 
ploy, and  are  said  to  be  generally  faithful  and  industrious. 
A  considerable  number  find  employment  at  the  Altai  mines, 
and  a  great  many  are  engaged  in  taking  cattle  and  sheep  to 
the  Siberian  markets. 

The  Kirghcse  lead  a  nomadic  life,  making  frequent  change 
of  residence  to  find  pasturage  for  their  immense  flocks  and 
herds.  The  different  tribes  are  more  or  less  hostile  to  each 
other,  and  have  a  pleasant  habit  of  organizing  raids  on  a 
colossal  scale.  (One  tribe  will  suddenly  swoop  down  upon 
another  and  steal  all  portable  property  within  reach.  They 
do  not  mind  a  little  fighting,  and  an  enterprise  of  this  kind 
frequently  results  in  a  good  many  broken  heads.  The  chiefs 
believe  themselves  descended  from  the  great  warriors  of  the 
ancient  Tartar  days,  and  boast  loudly  of  their  prowess.  The 
Kirghcse  are  brave  in  fighting  each  other,  but  have  a  respect- 
ful fear  of  the  Russians.  Occasionally  they  plunder  Russian 
traders  crossing  the  steppes,  but  arc  careful  not  to  attack  un- 
less the  odds  are  on  their  own  side. 

The  Russians  have  applied  their  diplomacy  among  the 
Kirghcse  and  pushed  their  boundaries  far  to  the  southward. 
They  have  purchased  titles  to  districts  controlled  by  powerful 
chiefs,  and  after  being  fairly  settled  have  continued  negotia- 
tions for  more  territory.  They  make  use  of  the  hostility  be- 
tween the  different  tribes,  and  have  managed  so  that  nearly 
every  feud  brought  advantages  to  Russia.  Under  their  policy 
of  toleration  they  never  interfere  with  the  religion  of  the 
conquered,  and  are  careful  not  to  awaken  prejudices.  The 
tribes  in  the  subjugated  territory  are  left  pretty  much  to  their 
own  will.  Every  few  years  the  chain  of  frontier  posts  is 
pushed  to  the  southward,  and  embraces  a  newly  acquired  re- 
gion. Western  Siberia  is  dotted  over  with  abandoned  and 
crumbling  forts  that  once  guarded  the  boundary,  but  are  now 


EXTENSION    OF    RUSSIAN    POWER.  523 

far  in  the  interior.  Some  of  these  defences  are  near  the 
great  road  across  the  Baraba  steppe. 

The  Kirghese  do  not  till  the  soil  nor  engage  in  manufac- 
tures, except  of  a  few  articles  for  their  own  use.  They  sell 
sheep,  cattle,  and  horses  to  the  Russians,  and  frequently  ac- 
company the  droves  to  their  destination.  In  return  for  their 
flocks  and  herds  they  receive  goods  of  Russian  manufacture, 
either  for  their  own  use  or  for  traffic  with  the  people  beyond. 
Their  wealth  consists  of  domestic  animals  and  the  slaves  to 
manage  them.  Horses  and  sheep  are  legal  tender  in  pay- 
ment of  debts,  bribes,  and  presents. 

In  the  last  few  years  Russian  conquest  in  Central  Asia  has 
moved  so  fast  that  England  has  taken  alarm  for  her  Indian 
possessions.  The  last  intelligence  from  that  quarter  announ- 
ces a  victory  of  the  Russians  near  Samarcand,  followed  by 
negotiations  for  peace.  If  the  Muscovite  power  continues  to 
extend  over  that  part  of  Asia,  England  has  very  good  reason 
to  open  her  eyes. 

I  never  conversed  with  the  Emperor  on  this  topic,  and  can- 
not speak  positively  of  his  intentions  toward  Asia,  but  am 
confident  he  has  fixed  his  eye  upon  conquest  as  far  south  of 
the  Altai  as  he  can  easily  go.  That  his  armies  may  some- 
time hoist  the  Russian  flag  in  sight  of  the  Indo-English  pos- 
sessions, is  not  at  all  improbable.  But  that  they  will  either 
attempt  or  desire  an  aggressive  campaign  against  India  is 
quite  beyond  expectation. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  ago  that  English  travelers  were  killed 
for  having  made  their  way  into  Central  Asia  in  disguise,  and 
Vamberg,  the  Hungarian  traveler,  was  considered  to  have 
performed  a  great  feat  because  he  returned  from  there  with 
his  life.  There  is  now  the  Tashkend  Messenger,  a  Russian 
paper  devoted  to  the  interests  of  that  rich  province.  Moscow 
merchants  are  establishing  the  Bank  of  Central  Asia,  having 
its  headquarters  at  Tashkend  and  a  branch  at  Orenburg,  and 
Tashkend  will  soon  be  in  telegraphic  communication  with  the 
rest  of  the  world. 

A  plan  has  been  proposed  to  open  Central  Asia  to  steam- 


524 


RAILWAY    BUILDING    IN  ASIA. 


boat  navigation.  The  river  Oxus,  or  Amoo-Daria,  which 
flows  through  Bakhara  and  Khiva,  emptying  into  the  Aral 
sea,  was  once  a  tributary  of  the  Caspian.  Several  steamers 
have  been  placed  upon  it,  and  others  are  promised  soon.  The 
dry  bed  of  the  old  channel  of  the  Oxus  is  visible  in  the  Tur- 
coman steppe  at  the  present  day.  The  original  diversion  was 
artificial,  and  the  dikes  which  direct  it  into  the  Aral  are  said 
to  be  maintained  with  difficulty.  It  has  been  proposed  to 
send  an  expedition  to  remove  these  barriers  and  turn  the 
river  into  its  former  bed. 

Coupled  with  this  project  is  another  to  divert  the  course  of 
the  Syr-Daria  and  make  it  an  affluent  of  the  Oxus.  This  last 
proposition  was  half  carried  out  two  hundred  years  ago,  and 
its  completion  would  not  be  difficult. 

By  the  first  project,  Russia  would  obtain  a  continuous 
water-way  from  Nijne  Novgorod  on  the  Volga  to  Balkh  on 
the  Amoo-Daria,  within  two  hundred  miles  of  British  India. 
The  second  scheme  carried  out  would  bring  Tashkend  and  all 
Central  Asia  under  commercial  control,  and  have  a  political 
effect  of  no  secondary  importance.  A  new  route  might  thus 
be  opened  to  British  India,  and  European  civilization  carried 
into  a  region  long  occupied  by  semi-barbarian  people.  Af- 
ghanistan would  be  relieved  from  its  anarchy  and  brought 
under  wholesome  rule.  The  geographical  effect  would  doubt- 
less be  the  drying  up  of  the  Aral  sea.  A  railway  between 
Balkh  and  Delhi  would  complete  an  inland  steam  route  be- 
tween St.  Petersburg  and  Calcutta. 

Surveys  have  been  ordered  for  a  Central  Asiatic  Railway 
from  Orenburg  or  some  point  farther  south,  and  it  is  quite 
possible  that  before  many  years  the  locomotive  will  be  shriek- 
ing over  the  Tartar  steppes  and  frightening  the  flocks  and 
herds  of  the  wandering  Kalmacks  and  Kirghese.  A  railway 
is  in  process  of  construction  from  the  Black  Sea  to  the  Cas- 
pian, and  when  this  is  completed,  a  line  into  Central  Asia  is 
only  a  question  of  time. 

The  Russians  have  an  extensive  trade  with  Central  Asia. 
Goods  are  transported  on  camels,  the  caravans  coming  in 


TRADITION    OF    THE    "SHEEP    PLANT."  525 


season  for  the  fairs  of  Irbit  and  Nijne  Novgorod.  The  cara- 
vans from  Bokhara  proceed  to  Troitska,  (Lat.  54°  N.,  Lon. 
61°  20'  E.,)  Petropavlovsk,  (Lat.  54°  30'  N.,  Lon.  69°  E.,) 
and  Orenburg,  (Lat.  51°  46'  N.,  Lon.  55°  5  E.)  There  is 
also  a  considerable  traffic  to  Sempolatinsk,  (Lat.  50°  30'  N., 
Lon.  80°  E.)  The  Russian  merchandise  consists  of  metals, 
iron  and  steel  goods,  beads,  mirrors,  cloths  of  various  kinds, 
and  a  miscellaneous  lot  "  too  numerous  to  mention."  Much 
of  the  country  over  which  these  caravans  travel  is  a  succes- 
sion of  Asiatic  steppes,  with  occasional  salt  lakes  and  scanty 
supplies  of  fresh  water. 

After  passing  the  Altai  mountains  and  outlying  chains  the 
routes  are  quite  monotonous.  Fearful  bourans  are  frequent, 
and  in  certain  parts  of  the  route  they  take  the  form  of  sand 
storms.  A  Russian  army  on  its  way  to  Khiva  twenty-five 
years  ago,  was  almost  entirely  destroyed  in  one  of  these  des- 
ert tempests.    Occasionally  the  caravans  suffer  severely. 

The  merchandise  from  Bokhara  includes  raw  cotton,  sheep- 
skins, rhubarb,  dried  fruits,  peltries,  silk,  and  leather,  with 
shawl  goods  of  different  kinds.  Cotton  is  an  important  pro- 
duct, and  in  the  latter  part  of  my  journey  I  saw  large  quan- 
tities going  to  Russian  factories.  Three  hundred  years  ago 
a  German  traveler  in  Russia  wrote  an  account  of  '  a  wonder- 
ful plant  beyond  the  Caspian  sea.'  "  Veracious  people,"  says 
the  writer,  "  tell  me  that  the  Borauez,  or  sheep  plant,  grows 
upon  a  stalk  larger  than  my  thumb ;  it  has  a  head,  eyes,  and 
ears  like  a  sheep,  but  is  without  sensation,  The  natives  use 
its  wool  for  various  purposes." 

I  heard  an  interesting  story  of  an  adventure  in  which  one 
of  the  Kirghese,  who  was  living  among  the  Russians  at  the 
time  of  my  visit  to  Barnaool,  played  an  important  part.  He 
was  a  fine  looking  fellow,  whose  tribe  lived  between  the  Altai 
Mountains  and  Lake  Ural,  spending  the  winters  in  the  low 
lands  and  the  summers  in  the  valleys  of  the  foot-hills.  He 
was  the  son  of  one  of  the  patriarchs  of  the  tribe,  and  was 
captured,  during  a  baranta  or  foray,  by  a  chief  who  had  long 
been  on  hostile  terms  with  his  neighbors.    The  young  man 


526 


A    ROMANTIC  STORY. 


was  held  for  ransom,  but  the  price  demanded  was  more  than 
his  father  could  pay,  and  so  he  remained  in  captivity. 

He  managed  to  ingratiate  himself  with  the  chief  of  the 
tribe  that  captured  him,  and  as  a  mark  of  honor,  and  proba- 
bly as  an  excuse  for  the  high  ransom  demanded,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  live  in  the  chief 's  household.  He  was  allowed  to 
ride  with  the  party  when  they  moved,  and  accompany  the 
herdsmen ;  but  a  sharp  watch  was  kept  on  his  movements 
whenever  he  was  mounted,  and  care  was  taken  that  tile 
horses  he  rode  were  not  very  fleet.  The  chief  had  a  daugh- 
ter whom  he  expected  to  marry  to  one  of  his  powerful  neigh- 
bors, and  thereby  secure  a  permanent  friendship  between  the 
tribes.  She  was  a  style  of  beauty  highly  prized  among  the 
Asiatics,  was  quite  at  home  on  horseback,  and  understood  all 
the  arts  and  accomplishments  necessary  to  a  Kirghese  maiden 
of  noble  blood.  It  is  nothing  marvelous  that  the  young  cap- 
tive, Selim,  should  become  fond  of  the  charming  Acson,  the 
daughter  of  his  captor.  His  fondness  was  reciprocated,  but, 
like  prudent  lovers  everywhere,  they  concealed  their  feelings, 
and  to  the  outer  world  preserved  a  most  indifferent  exterior. 

Selim  thought  it  best  to  elope,  and  broached  his  opinion 
to  Acson,  who  readily  favored  it.  They  concluded  to  make 
the  attempt  when  the  tribe  was  moving  to  change  its  pastur- 
age, and  their  absence  would  not  be  noticed  until  they  had 
several  hours  start  and  were  many  miles  on  their  way.  They 
waited  until  the  chief  gave  the  order  to  move  to  another  lo- 
cality, where  the  grass  was  better.  Acson  managed  to  leave 
the  tent  in  the  night,  under  some  frivolous  pretext,  and  select 
two  of  her  father's  best  horses,  which  she  concealed  in  a 
grove  not  far  away.  By  previous  arrangement  she  appeared 
sullen  and  indignant  toward  Selim,  who,  mounted  on  a  very 
sorry  nag,  set  off  with  a  party  of  men  that  were,  driving  a 
large  herd  of  horses.  The  latter  were  ungovernable,  and  the 
party  became  separated,  so  that  it  was  easy  for  Selim  to  drop 
out  altogether  and  make  his  way  to  the  grove  where  the 
horses  were  concealed.    In  the  same  way  Acson  abandoned 


FLIGHT    OF    THE  LOVERS. 


527 


THE  ELOPEMENT. 


the  party  she  started  with,  and  within  an  hour  from  the  time 
they  left  the  aool,  or  encampment,  the  lovers  met  in  the  grove. 

It  was  a  long  way  to  Selim's  tribe,  but  he  knew  it  was 
somewhere  in  the  mountains  to  the  north  and  west,  having 
left  its  winter  quar- 
ters in  the  low  coun- 
try. The  pair  said 
their  prayers  in  the 
true  Mahommedai 
6tyle,  and  then, 
mounting  their 
horses,  set  out  at  an 
easy  pace  to  ascend 
the  valley  toward 
the  higher  land. 
Their  horses  were 
in  excellent  condi- 
tion, but  they  knew 
it  would  be  necessary  to  ride  hard  in  case  they  were  pursued, 
and  they  wished  to  reserve  their  strength  for  the  final  effort. 
An  hour  before  nightfall,  they  saw,  far  down  the  valley,  a 
party  in  pursuit  The  party  was  riding  rapidly,  and  from 
appearances  had  not  caught  sight  of  the  fugitives.  After  a 
brief  consultation  the  latter  determined  to  turn  aside  at  the 
first  bend  of  the  valley,  and  endeavor  to  cross  at  the  next 
stream,  while  leaving  the  pursuers  to  go  forward  and  be  de- 
ceived. 

They  turned  aside,  and  were  gratified  to  see  from  a  place 
of  concealment  the  pursuing  party  proceed  up  the  valley. 
The  departure  of  the  fugitives  was  evidently  known  some 
time  earlier  than  they  expected,  else  the  pursuit  would  not 
have  begun  so  soon.  Guided  by  the  general  course  of  the 
hills,  the  fugitives  made  their  way  to  the  next  valley,  and,  as 
the  night  had  come  upon  them,  they  made  a  camp  beneath  a 
shady  tree,  picketing  their  horses,  and  eating  such  provisions 
as  they  had  brought  with  them. 

In  the  morning,  just  as  their  steeds  were  saddled  and  they 


528 


PURSUED    BUT    NOT  CAPTURED. 


were  preparing  to  resume  their  journey,  they  saw  their  pur- 
suers enter  the  valley  a  mile  or  two  below  them,  and  move 
rapidly  in  their  direction.  Evidently  they  had  turned  back 
after  losing  the  track,  and  found  it  without  much  delay.  But 
their  horses  were  more  weary  than  those  of  the  fleeing  lovers, 
so  that  the  latter  were  confident  of  winning  the  race. 

Swift  was  the  flight  and  swift  the  pursuit.  The  valley  was 
wide  and  nearly  straight,  and  the  lovers  steadily  increased 
the  distance  between  them  and  their  pursuers.  They  follow- 
ed no  path,  but  kept  steadily  forward,  with  their  faces  toward 
the  mountains.  Their  pursuers,  originally  half  a  dozen,  di- 
minished to  five,  then  to  four,  and  as  the  hours  wore  on  Selim 
found  that  only  two  were  in  sight.  But  a  new  obstacle  arose 
to  his  escape. 

He  knew  that  the  valley  he  was  ascending  was  abruptly 
enclosed  in  the  mountains,  and  escape  would  be  difficult. 
Further  to  the  east  was  a  more  practicable  one,  and  he  de- 
termined to  attempt  to  reach  it.    Turning  from  the  valley, 


THE  FIGHT 


he  was  followed  by  his  two  pursuers,  who  were  so  close  upon 
him  that  he  determined  to  fight  them.  Acson  had  brought 
away  one  of  her  father's  scimetars,  and  with  this  Selim  pre- 
pared to  do  battle.  Finding  a  suitable  place  among  the  rocks, 
he  concealed  his  horses,  and  with  Acson  made  a  stand  where 
he  could  fight  to  advantage.  He  took  his  position  on  a  rock 
just  over  the  path  his  pursuers  were  likely  to  follow,  and 
watched  his  opportunity  to  hurl  a  stone,  which  knocked  one 


A    FATAL  ENDING. 


529 


of  them  senseless.  The  other  was  dismounted  by  his  horse 
taking  fright,  and  before  he  could  regain  his  saddle,  Selim 
was  upon  him.  A  short  hand-to-hand  fight  resulted  in  Se- 
lim's  favor. 

Leaving  his  adversaries  upon  the  ground,  one  of  them  dead 
and  the  other  mortally  wounded,  Selim  called  Acson  and  re- 
turned to  his  horses.  Both  the  fugitives  were  thoroughly 
exhausted  on  reaching  the  valley,  and  found  to  their  dismay 
that  a  stream  they  were  obliged  to  cross  was  greatly  swollen 
with  recent  rains  in  the  mountains. 

They  were  anxious  to  put  the  stream  between  them  and 
their  remaining  pursuers,  and  after  a  brief  halt  they  plunged 
in  with  their  horses.  Selim  crossed  safely,  his  horse  stem- 
ming the  current  and  landing  some  distance  below  the  point 
where  he  entered  the  water.    Acson  was  less  fortunate. 

While  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  her  horse  stumbled 
upon  a  stone, 
and  sprang 
about  so  wild- 
ly as  to  throw 
her  from  the 
saddle.  Grasp- 
ing the  limb 
of  a  tree  over- 
hanging the 
water,  she 
clung  for  a 
moment,  but 
the  horse 

THE  CATASTROPHE 

sweeping 

against  her,  tore  the  support  from  her  hand.  With  a  loud 
cry  to  her  terror-stricken  lover,  she  sank  beneath  the  waters 
and  was  dashed  against  the  rocks  a  hundred  yards  below. 

Day  became  night,  the  stars  sparkled  in  the  blue  heavens ; 
the  moon  rose  and  took  her  course  along  the  sky ;  the  wind 
sighed  among  the  trees  ;  morning  tinged  the  eastern  horizon, 
and  the  sun  pushed  above  it,  while  Selim  paced  the  banks  of 
34 


530  DEATH,    DESPAIR,    AND  FIDELITY. 

the  river  and  watched  the  waters  rolling,  rolling,  rolling,  as 
they  carried  his  heart's  idol  away  from  him  forever,  and  it 
was  not  until  night  again  approached  that  he  mounted  his 
steed  and  rode  away,  heart-broken  and  full  of  sadness.  He 
ultimately  made  his  way  to  his  own  tribe,  but  years  passed 
before  he  recovered  from  the  crushing  weight  of  that  blow ; 
and  when  I  saw  him  there  was  still  upon  his  countenance  a 
deep  shadow  which  will  never  be  removed.  Such  is  the  story 
of  Selim  and  Acson,  A  more  romantic  one  is  hardly  to  be 
found. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 


NE  morning  while  I  was  in  Barnaool  the  doctor  left  me 


V_/  writing,  and  went  out  for  a  promenade.  In  half  an 
hour  he  returned  accompanied  by  a  tall,  well-formed  man 
with  a  brunette  complexion,  and  hair  and  mustache  black  as 
ebony.  His  dress  was  Russian,  but  the  face  impressed  me 
as  something  strange. 

"  Let  me  introduce  you,"  said  the  doctor,  "  to  an  officer  of 
the  Persian  army.  He  has  been  eight  years  from  home,  and 
would  like  to  talk  with  an  American." 

/We  shook  hands,  and  by  way  of  getting  on  familiar  foot- 
ing, I  opened  my  cigar  case.  Dr.  Schmidt  translated  our 
conversation,  the  Persian  speaking  Russian  very  fairly.  His 
story  was  curious  and  interesting.  He  was  captured  in  1858 
near  Herat,  by  a  party  of  predatory  Turcomans.  His  captors 
sold  him  to  a  merchant  at  Balkh  where  he  remained  some- 
time. From  Balkh  he  was  sold  to  Khiva,  and  from  Khiva  to 
Bokhara,  whence  he  escaped  with  a  fellow  captive.  I  asked  if 
he  was  compelled  to  labor  during  his  captivity,  and  received 
a  negative  reply.  Soldiers  and  all  others  except  officers  are 
forced  to  all  kinds  of  drudgery  when  captured  by  these  bar- 
barians. Officers  are  held  for  ransom,  and  their  duties  are 
comparatively  light. 

Russian  slaves  are  not  uncommon  in  Central  Asia,  though 
less  numerous  than  formerly.  The  Kirghese  cripple  their 
prisoners  by  inserting  a  horse  hair  in  a  wound  in  the  heel. 
A  man  thus  treated  is  lamed  for  life.  He  cannot  use  his  feet 
in  escaping,  and  care  is  taken  that  he  does  not  secure  a  horse. 
The  two  fugitives  traveled  together  from  Bokhara,  suffering 


(531) 


532 


UNEXPECTED  SITUATION. 


groat  hardships  in  their  journey  over  the  steppes.  They 
avoided  all  towns  through  fear  of  capture,  and  subsisted  upon 
Whatever  chance  threw  in  their  way.  Once  when  near  starv- 
ation they  found  and  killed  a  sheep.  They  ate  heartily  of 
its  raw  flesh,  and  before  the  supply  thus  obtained  was  ex- 
hausted they  reached  the  Russian  boundary  at  Chuguchak. 
One  of  the  twain  died  soon  afterward,  and  his  companion  in 
fliffhi  came  to  Barnaool.  The  authorities  would  not  let  him 
go  farther  without  a  passport,  and  he  had  been  in  the  town 
nearly  a  year  at  the  time  of  my  visit. 

Through  the  Persian  ambassador  at  St.  Petersburg,  he  had 
communicated  with  his  government  at  Teheran,  and  expected 
his  passport  in  a  few  weeks. 

During  the  eight  years  that  had  elapsed  since  his  capture 
this  gentleman  heard  nothing  from  his  own  country.  He  had 
learned  to  speak  Russian  but  could  not  read  it.  I  told  him 
of  the  completion  of  the  Indo-European  telegraph  by  way 
of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  the  success  of 
electric  communication  between  England  and  India.  Natu- 
rally he  was  less  interested  concerning  the  Atlantic  cable  than 
about  the  telegraph  in  his  own  country.  "We  shook  hands  at 
parting,  and  mutually  expressed  a  Avish  to  meet  again  in  Per- 
sia and  America. 

After  his  departure,  the  doctor  commented  upon  the  intel- 
ligent bearing  and  clear  eye  of  the  Persian,  and  then  said : 

"  I  have  done  several  strange  and  unexpected  things  in 
my  life,  but  I  never  dreamed  1  should  be  the  interpreter  be- 
tween a  Persian  and  an  American  at  the  foot  of  the  Altai 
mountains." 

I  met  at  Barnaool,  a  Prussian  gentleman  Mr.  Radroff,  who 
was  sent  to  Siberia  by  the  Russian  Academy  of  Science.  He 
knew  nearly  all  the  languages  of  Europe,  and  had  spent  some 
years  in  studying  those  of  Central  Asia.  He  could  converse 
and  read  in  Chinese,  Persian,  and  Mongol,  and  I  don't  know 
how  many  languages  and  dialects  of  lesser  note.  His  special 
mission  was  to  collect  information  about  the  present  and  past 
inhabitants  of  Central  Asia,  and  in  this  endeavor  he  had 


TURCOMAN  CRUELTY. 


533 


made  explorations  in  the  country  of  the  Kirghese  and  beyond 
Lake  Balkask.  He  was  preparing  for  a  journey  in  1867  to 
Kashgar. 

Mr.  Radroff  possessed  many  archaeological  relics  gathered 
in  his  researches,  and  exhibited  drawings  of  many  tumuli. 
He  had  a  curious  collection  of  spear  heads,  knives,  swords, 
ornaments,  stirrup  irons,  and  other  souvenirs  of  ancient  days. 
He  discoursed  upon  the  ages  of  copper,  gold,  and  iron,  and 
told  the  probable  antiquity  of  each  specimen  he  brought  out. 
He  gave  me  a  spear  head  and  a  knife  blade  taken  from  a 
burial  mound  in  the  Kirghese  country.  "  You  observe,"  said 
he,  "  they  are  of  copper  and  were  doubtless  made  before  the 
discovery  of  iron.  They  are  probably  three  thousand  years 
old,  and  may  be  more.  In  these  tumuli,  copper  is  found 
much  better  preserved  than  iron,  though  the  latter  is  more 
recently  buried." 

At  this  gentleman's  house,  I  saw  a  Persian  soldier  who  had 
been  ten  years  in  captivity  among  the  Turcomans,  where  he 
was  beaten  and  forced  to  the  lowest  drudgery,  and  often  kept 
in  chains.  After  long  and  patient  waiting  he  escaped  and 
reached  the  Siberian  boundary.  Having  no  passport,  and 
unable  to  make  himself  understood,  he  was  sent  to  Barnaool 
and  lodged  in  prison  where  he  remained  nearly  two  years ! 
The  Persian  officer  above  mentioned,  heard  of  him  by  acci- 
dent, and  procured  his  release.  Mr.  Radroff  had  taken  the 
man  as  a  house  servant  and  a  teacher  of  the  Persian  lan- 
guage. I  heard  him  read  in  a  sonorous  voice  several  passages 
from  the  Koran.  His  face  bore  the  marks  of  deep  suffering, 
and  gave  silent  witness  to  the  story  of  his  terrible  captivity 
in  the  hands  of  the  Turcomans.  His  incarceration  at  Bar- 
naool was  referred  to  as  an  "  unfortunate  oversight."  Escap- 
ing from  barbarian  slavery  he  fell  into  a  civilized  prison,  and 
must  have  considered  Christian  kindness  more  fanciful  than 
real.  He  expected  to  accompany  his  countryman  on  his  re- 
turn to  Persia. 

The  day  before  our  departure,  we  were  invited  to  a  public 
dinner  in  honor  of  our  visit.    It  took  place  at  the  club  rooms, 


534 


"all  full  inside." 


the  tables  being  set  in  what  was  once  the  parquet  of  the  thea- 
tre. The  officials,  from  General  Freeze  downward,  were  seated 
in  the  order  of  their  rank,  and  the  post  of  honor  was  as- 
signed to  the  two  strangers.  No  ladies  were  present,  and  the 
dinner,  so  far  as  its  gastronomic  features  went,  was  much  like 
a  dinner  at  Irkutsk  or  Kiachta. 

At  the  second  course  my  attention  was  called  to  an  excel- 
lent fish  peculiar  to  the  Ob  and  Yenesei  rivers.  It  is  a  species 
of  salmon  under  the  name  of  Nalma,  and  ascends  from  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  Beef  from  the  Kirghese  steppes  elicited  our 
praise,  and  so  did  game  from  the  region  around  Barnaool. 
At  the  end  of  the  dinner  I  was  ready  to  answer  affirmatively 
the  inquiry,  "  all  full  inside  ?" 

At  the  appearance  of  the  champagne,  Colonel  Taskin  of  the 
mining  engineers  made  a  brief  speech  in  English,  and  ended 
by  proposing  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  health  of 
the  American  stranger.  Dr.  Schmidt  translated  my  response 
as  well  as  my  toast  to  the  Russian  empire,  and  especially  the 
inhabitants  of  Barnaool.  The  doctor  was  then  honored  for 
his  mammoth  hunt,  and  made  proper  acknowledgment.  Then 
we  had  personal  toasts  and  more  champagne  with  Russian 
and  American  music,  and  champagne  again,  and  then  we  had 
some  more  champagne  and  then  some  champagne. 

When  the  tables  were  removed,  we  had  impromptu  danc- 
ing to  lively  music,  including  several  Cossack  dances,  some 
familiar  and  others  new  to  me.  There  is  one  of  these  dances 
which  usually  commences  by  a  woman  stepping  into  the  cen- 
tre of  the  room  and  holding  a  kerchief  in  her  right  hand. 
Moving  gracefully  to  the  music,  she  passes  around  the  apart- 
ment, beckoning  to  one,  hiding  her  face  from  another,  gestic- 
ulating with  extended  arms  before  a  third,  and  skilfully  man- 
ipulating the  kerchief  all  the  while.  When  this  sentimental 
pantomime  is  ended,  she  selects  a  partner  and  waves  the  ker- 
chief over  him.  He  pretends  reluctance,  but  allows  himself 
to  be  dragged  to  the  floor  where  the  couple  dance  en  deux.  The 
dance  includes  a  great  deal  of  entreaty,  aversion,  hope,  and 
despair,  all  in  dumb  show,  and  ends  by  the  lady  being  led  to 


THE   POLKEDO VATE. 


535 


a  seat.  I  saw  this  dance  introduced  in  a  ballet  at  the  Grand 
Theatre  in  Moscow,  and  wondered  why  it  never  appeared  on 
the  stage  outside  the  Russian  empire. 

One  of  the  gentlemen  who  danced  admirably  had  recov- 
ered the  use  of  his  legs  two  years  before,  after  being  unable 
to  walk  no  less  than  twenty-eight  years.  He  declared  him- 
self determined  to  make  up  for  lost  time,  and  when  I  left  the 
hall,  he  continued  entertaining  himself. 

During  the  dancing,  a  party  gathered  around  where  I  stood 
and  I  observed  that  every  lady  was  assembling  as  if  to  wit- 
ness some  fun.  "  Be  on  your  watch,"  a  friend  whispered, 
"  they  are  going  to  give  you  the  polkedovate" 

The  polkedovate  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  tossing  up 
at  the  hands  of  a  dozen  or  twenty  Russians.  It  has  the  effect 
of  intoxicating  a  sober  man,  but  I  never  heard  that  it  sobered 
a  drunken  one.  Major  Collins  was  elevated  in  this  way  at 
Kiachta,  and  declares  that  the  effect,  added  to  the  champagne 
he  had  previously  taken,  was  not  at  all  satisfactory.  Remem- 


THE  POLKEDOVATE. 


bering  his  experience,  and  fearing  I  might  go  too  high  or 
come  too  low,  I  was  glad  when  a  diversion  was  made  in  my 
favor  by  a  gentleman  coming  to  bid  me  good  night. 

The  custom  of  tossing  up  a  guest  is  less  prevalent  in  Sibe- 
ria than  ten  or  twenty  years  ago.    It  was  formerly  a  mark  of 


536 


MAKING  EXPLANATION. 


high  respect,  but  I  presume  few  who  were  thus  honored 
would  have  hesitated  to  forego  the  distinguished  courtesy. 

One  of  the  gentlemen  I  met  at  dinner  had  a  passion  for 
trotting  horses.  He  asked  me  many  questions  about  the 
famous  race  horses  in  America,  from  Lady  Suffolk  down  to 
the  latest  two-twenties.  I  answered  to  the  best  of  my  abili- 
ties, but  truth  required  me  to  say  I  was  not  authority  in 
equine  matters.  The  gentleman  treated  me  to  a  display  of 
trotting  by  a  Siberian  horse  five  years  old,  and  carefully 
trained.  I  forget  the  exact  figures  he  gave  me,  but  believe 
they  were  something  like  two-thirty  to  the  mile.  To  my  un- 
horsy  eye,  the  animal  was  pretty,  and  well  formed,  and  I 
doubt  not  he  would  have  acquitted  himself  finely  on  the  Bloom- 
ingdale  Road.  The  best  horses  in  Siberia  are  generally  from 
European  Russia,  the  Siberian  climate  being  unfavorable  to 
careful  breeding.  Kirghese  horses  are  excellent  under  the 
saddle,  but  not  well  reputed  for  draught  purposes. 

I  gave  out  some  washing  at  Barnaool,  and  accidentally  in- 
cluded a  paper  collar  in  the  lot.  When  the  laundress  re- 
turned the  linen,  she  explained  with  much  sorrow  the  disso- 
lution of  the  collar  when 
she  attempted  to  wash 
it.  I  presume  it  was 
the  first  of  its  kind  that 
ever  reached  the  Altai 
mountains. 

We  arranged  to  leave 
Barnaool  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  dinner  at 
the  club  room.  First 
we  proceeded  to  the 
house  of  Colonel  Taskin 
where  we  took  '  posi- 
tively the  last'  glass  of  champagne.  Our  preparations  at 
our  lodgings  were  soon  completed,  and  the  baggage  carefully 
stowed.  A  party  of  our  acquaintances  assembled  to  witness 
our  departure,  and  pass  through  a  round  of  kissing  as  the 


MAKING  EXPLANATION. 


A   MUSICAL  YEMSHICK. 


537 


yemshick  uttered  ^  gotovey.'  They  did  not  make  an  end  of 
hand-shaking  until  we  were  wrapped  and  bundled  into  the 
sleigh. 

It  was  a  keen,  frosty  night  with  the  stars  twinkling  in  the 
clear  heavens  as  we  drove  outside  the  yard  of  our  hotel. 
Horses,  driver,  and  travelers  were  alike  exhilarated  in  the  sharp 
atmosphere  and  we  dashed  off  at  courier  pace.  The  driver 
was  a  musical  fellow,  and  endeavored  to  sing  a  Russian  bal- 
lad while  we  were  galloping  over  the  glistening  snow. 

We  had  a  long  ride  before  us.  The  wide  steppe  of  Baraba, 
or  Barabinsky,  lies  between  Barnaool  and  the  foot  of  the 
Ural  mountains.  There  was  no  town  where  we  expected  to 
stop  before  reaching  Tumen,  fifteen  hundred  versts  away.  As 
the  luxuries  of  life  are  not  abundant  on  this  road  we  stored 
our  sleighs  with  provisions,  and  hoped  to  add  bread  and  eggs 
at  the  stations.  Our  farewell  dinner  was  considered  a  suffi- 
cient preparation  for  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  versts.  I 
nestled  down  among  the  furs  and  hay  which  formed  my  bed, 
leaned  back  upon  the  pillows  and  exposed  only  a  few  square 
inches  of  visage  to  the  nipping  and  eager  air. 

A  few  versts  from  town  we  stuck  upon  an  icy  bank  where 
the  smooth  feet  of  our  horses  could  not  obtain  holding  ground. 
After  a  while  we  attached  one  horse  to  a  long  rope,  and  en- 
abled him  to  pull  from  the  level  snow  above  the  bank.  I  ex- 
pected the  yemshick  would  ask  us  to  lighten  the  sleigh  by 
stepping  out  of  it.  An  American  driver  would  have  put  us 
ashore  without  ceremony,  but  custom  is  otherwise  in  Siberia. 
Horses  and  driver  are  engaged  to  take  the  vehicle  and  its 
burden  to  the  next  station,  and  it  is  the  traveler's  privilege 
to  remain  in  his  place  in  any  emergency  short  of  an  overturn. 

The  track  was  excellent,  having  been  well  trodden  since 
the  storm.  We  followed  our  former  road  a  hundred  versts 
from  Barnaool,  and  then  turned  to  the  left  to  strike  the  great 
post  route  near  Kiansk.  It  was  necessary  to  cross  the  river 
Ob,  and  as  we  reached  the  station  near  it  during  the  night, 
we  waited  for  daylight.  The  ice  was  sufficiently  thick  and 
firm,  but  the  danger  arose  from  holes  and  thin  places  that 


538  AFTER    THE  BATH. 

could  not  be  readily  discovered  in  the  dark.  While  crossing 
we  met  a  peasant  who  had  tumbled  into  one  of  these  holes, 

and  been  fished  out  by  his  friends. 
He  looked  unhappy,  and  no 
doubt  felt  so.  His  garments 
were  frozen  stiff,  and  altogether 
he  resembled  a  bronze  statue  of 
Franklin  after  a  freezing  rain 
storm. 

The  thermometer  fell  on  the 
first  night  to  fifteen  degrees  be- 
low zero,  and  to  about  -  20°  just 
before  sunrise.  The  colder  it 
grew  the  better  was  our  speed, 
the  horses  feeling  the  crisp  air 
and  the  driver  being  anxious  to 
complete  his  stage  in  the  least 
time  possible.  With  uniform 
roads  and  teams  one  can  judge 
pretty  fairly  of  the  temperature 
by  the  rate  at  which  he  travels. 

From  Barnaool  we  did  not 
have  the  horses  of  the  post,  but 
engaged  our  first  troikas  of  a 
peasant  who  offered  his  services. 
Our  yemshick  took  us  to  his 
friend  at  the  first  station,  and 

AFTER  THE  BATH. 

this  operation  was  regularly  re- 
peated. Occasionally  our  two  yemshicks  had  different  friends, 
and  our  sleighs  were  separately  out-fitted.  When  this  was 
the  case  the  teams  were  speedily  attached  out  of  a  spirit  of  ri- 
valry. We  frequently  endeavored  to  excite  the  yemshicks  to 
the  noble  ambition  of  a  race  by  offering  a  few  copecks  to  the 
winner.  When  the  teams  were  furnished  from  different 
houses  the  temper  of  emulation  roused  itself  spontaneously. 

Twice  we  left  the  post  route  to  make  short  cuts  that  saved 
thirty  or  forty  miles  travel.    On  those  side  roads  we  found 


REMEDY   FOR  RHEUMATISM. 


539 


plently  of  horses,  and  were  promptly  served.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  steppe  are  delighted  at  the  opportunity  to  carry 
travelers  at  post  rates.  The  latter  are  saved  the  trouble  of 
exhibiting  their  padarashnia  at  every  station,  and  generally 
prefer  to  employ  private  teams.  The  horses  were  small,  wiry 
beasts  of  Tartar  breed,  and  utter  strangers  to  combs  and 
brushes. 

While  at  breakfast  on  the  second  morning  we  were  accost- 
ed by  an  old  and  decrepid  beggar.  The  fellow  wore  a  deco- 
ration consisting  of  a  box  six  or  seven  inches  square,  sus- 
pended on  his  breast  by  a  strap  around  his  neck.  Though 
seedy  enough  to  set  up  business  on  his  own  account,  he  ex- 
plained that  he  was  begging  for  the  church.  His  honesty 
was  evidently  in  question  as  the  box  was  firmly  locked  and 
had  an  aperture  in  the  top  for  receiving  money.  We  each 
gave  ten  copecks  into  his  hand,  and  I  observed  that  he  did 
not  drop  the  gratuity  into  the  box.  I  was  reminded  of  the 
man  who  owed  a  grudge  against  a  railroad  line,  and  declared 
that  the  company  should  never  have  another  cent  of  his 
money.  A  friend  asked  how  he  would  prevent  it,  as  he  fre- 
quently traveled  over  the  road. 

"  Easy  enough,"  was  the  calm  reply,  "  I  shall  hereafter 
pay  my  fare  to  the  conductor." 

The  morning  after  reaching  Barnaool,  I  had  a  fine  twinge 
of  rheumatism  that  adhered  during  my  stay.  Quite  to  my 
surprise  it  left  me  on  the  second  day  after  our  departure,  and 
like  the  bad  boy  in  the  story  never  came  back  again.  The 
medical  faculty  can  have  the  benefit  of  my  experience,  and 
prescribe  as  follows  for  their  rheumatic  patients. 

"st.  nt.  o.  lg.  si.  S.  r.=ther.  -  g 

Start  at  night  on  a  long  sleigh  ride  over  a  Siberian  road 
with  the  thermometer  below  zero." 

A  bouran  arose  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day,  but 
was  neither  violent  nor  very  cold.  At  Barnaool  I  had  my 
sleigh   specially  prepared  to  exclude  drifting  snow.  I 


540 


AN   ANIMATED   SNOW  STATUE. 


ordered  a  liberal  supply  of  buttons  and  straps  to  fasten  the 
boot  to  the  hood,  besides  an  overlapping  flap  of  thick  felt  to 
cover  the  crevice  between  them.  The  precaution  was  well 
taken,  and  with  our  doors  thoroughly  closed  we  were  not 
troubled  with  much  snow.  The  drivers  were  exposed  on  the 
outside  of  the  sleigh,  and  had  the  full  benefit  of  the  wind. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  drive  after  this  storm  commenced  our 
yemshick  might  have  passed  for  an  animated  snow  statue. 
The  road  was  tolerable,  and  a  great  improvement  upon  that 
from  Krasnoyarsk  to  Tomsk. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

THE  great  steppe  of  Baraba  is  quite  monotonous,  as  there 
is  very  little  change  of  scenery  in  traveling  over  it. 
Whoever  has  been  south  or  west  from  Chicago,  or  west  from 
Leavenworth,  in  winter,  can  form  a  very  good  idea  of  the 
steppe.  The  winter  appearance  is  much  like  that  of  a  west- 
ern prairie  covered  with  snow.  Whether  there  is  equal  sim- 
ilarity in  summer  I  am  unable  to  say.  The  country  is  flat  or 
slightly  undulating,  and  has  a  scanty  growth  of  timber. 
Sometimes  there  were  many  versts  without  trees,  then  there 
would  be  a  scattered  and  straggling  display  of  birches,  and 
again  the  growth  was  dense  enough  to  be  called  a  forest. 
The  principal  arboreal  productions  are  birches,  and  I  lound 
the  houses,  sheds,  and  fences  in  most  of  the  villages  con- 
structed of  birch  timber.  The  open  part  of  the  steppe,  far 
more  extensive  than  the  wooded  portion,  was  evidently  favor- 
able to  the  growth  of  grass,  as  I  saw  a  great  deal  protruding 
above  the  snow.  There  are  many  marshy  and  boggy  places, 
covered  in  summer  with  a  dense  growth  of  reeds.  They  are 
a  serious  inconvenience  to  the  traveler  on  account  of  the 
swarms  of  mosquitoes,  gnats,  and  other  tormenting  insects 
that  they  produce. 

While  crossing  the  Baraba  swamps  in  summer,  men  and 
women  are  obliged  to  wear  veils  as  a  protection  against  these 
pests.  Horses  are  sometimes  killed  by  their  bites,  and  fre- 
quently became  thin  in  flesh  from  the  constant  annoyance. 
A  gentleman  told  me  that  once  when  crossing  the  swamps 
one  of  his  horses,  maddened  by  the  insects,  broke  from  the 
carriage  and  fled  out  of  sight  among  the  tall  reeds.  The 

(541) 


542 


SOIL    AND  PRODUCTIONS. 


yemshicks,  who  knew  the  locality,  said  the  animal  would  cer- 
tainly be  killed  by  his  winged  pursuers  in  less  than  twenty- 
four  hours. 

There  is  much  game  on  the  steppe  in  summer,  birds  being 
more  numerous  than  beasts.  The  only  winter  game  we  saw 
was  the  white  partridge,  (hurupaiki^)  of  which  we  secured 
several  specimens. 

The  steppe  is  fertile,  and  in  everything  the  soil  can  pro- 
duce the  people  are  wealthy.  They  have  wheat,  rye,  and  oats 
in  abundance,  but  pay  little  attention  to  garden  vegetables. 
In  1866  the  crops  were  small  in  all  parts  of  Siberia  west  of 
Lake  Baikal,  and  I  frequently  heard  the  peasants  complaining 
of  high  prices.  They  said  such  a  season  was  almost  unprece- 
dented. On  the  steppe  oats  were  forty  copecks,  and  wheat 
and  rye  seventy  copecks  a  pood  ;  equaling  about  thirty  cents 
and  seventy-five  cents  a  bushel  respectively.  In  some  years 
wheat  has  been  sold  for  ten  copecks  the  pood,  and  other  pro- 
ducts at  proportionate  prices.  We  paid  twelve  copecks  the 
dizaine  for  eggs,  which  frequently  sell  for  one-third  that  sum. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil  cannot  be  turned  to  great  account, 
as  there  is  no  general  market.  Men  and  horses  engaged  in 
the  transportation  and  postal  service  create  a  limited  demand, 
but  there  is  little  sale  beyond  this.  With  so  small  a  market 
there  are  very  few  rich  inhabitants  on  the  steppe  ;  and  with 
edibles  at  a  cheap  rate,  there  are  few  cases  of  extreme  pov- 
erty. We  rarely  saw  beggars,  and  on  the  other  hand  we 
found  nobody  who  was  able  to  dress  in  broadcloth  and  fine 
linen  and  fare  sumptuously  every  day. 

Hay  is  abundant,  and  may  be  cut  on  any  unclaimed  part 
of  the  steppe.  I  was  told  that  in  some  places  the  farmers  of 
a  village  assemble  on  horseback  at  an  appointed  time.  At  a 
given  signal  all  start  for  the  haying  spots,  and  the  first  arrival 
has  the  first  choice.  There  is  enough  for  all,  and  in  ordin- 
ary seasons  no  grass  less  than  knee  high  is  considered  worth 
cutting. 

At  the  villages  we  generally  obtained  excellent  bread  of 
unbolted  wheat  flour,  rye  being  rarely  used.    There  were 


TESTING    BILL    OF  FARE. 


543 


many  windmills  of  clumsy  construction,  the  wheels  having 
but  four  wings,  and  the  whole  concern  turning  on  a  pivot  to 
bring  its  face  to  the  wind.  No  bolting  apparatus  has  been 
introduced,  and  the  machinery  is  of  the  simplest  and  most 
primitive  character.  It  was  a  period  of  fasting,  just  before 
Christmas,  and  our  whole  obtainable  bill  of  fare  comprised 
bread  and  eggs.  As  we  reached  a  certain  station  we  asked 
what  we  could  get  to  eat. 

"  Everything,''  was  the  prompt  reply  of  the  smotretal. 
We  were  hungry,  and  this  information  was  cheering. 

"  Give  us  some  schee,  if  you  please,"  said  the  doctor. 

An  inquiry  in  the  kitchen  showed  this  edible  to  be  6  just 
out.' 

"  Some  beef,  then  ? " 

There  was  no  beef  to  be  had.  Cutlets  were  alike  nega- 
tived. 

"  Any  pilmania  ? "  was  our  next  inquiry. 
4 '  Nierte  ;  nizniu . ' ' 

The  'everything'  hunted  down  consisted  of  eggs,  bread, 
and  hot  water.  We  brought  out  a  boiled  ham,  that  was  gen- 
erally our  piece  de  resistance,  and  made  a  royal  meal.  If 
trichina  spiralis  existed  in  Siberian  ham,  it  was  never  able  to 
disturb  us.  We  found  no  fruit  as  there  are  no  orchards  in 
Siberia.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  cultivate  fruit,  but 
none  have  succeeded.  A  little  production  about  the  size  of 
a  whortleberry  was  shown  me  in  Eastern  Siberia,  where  it 
was  pickled  and  served  up  as  a  relish  with  meat.  "  This  is 
the  Siberian  apple,"  said  the  gentleman  who  first  exhibited 
it,  "  and  it  has  degenerated  to  what  you  see  since  its  intro- 
duction from  Europe."  On  dissecting  one  of  these  little 
berries,  I  found  it  possessed  the  anatomy  of  the  apple,  with 
seeds  smaller  than  pin-heads. 

Hotzebue  and  other  travelers  say  there  are  no  bees  in  Si- 
beria, but  the  assertion  is  incorrect.  I  saw  native  honey 
enough  to  convince  me  on  this  point,  and  learned  that  bees 
are  successfully  raised  in  the  southern  part  of  Asiatic  Russia. 

We  were  not  greatly  delayed  in  our  team  changing,  though 


544 


UNIVERSAL    TEA  DRINKING. 


we  lost  several  hours  in  small  instalments.  We  had  two 
sleighs,  and  although  there  were  anywhere  up  to  a  dozen  men 
to  prepare  them,  the  harnessing  of  one  team  was  generally 


and  never  failed  to  find  myself  refreshed.  It  is  far  better 
than  vodki  or  brandy  for  traveling  purposes,  and  many  Rus- 
sians who  are  pretty  free  drinkers  at  home  adhere  quite  close- 
ly to  tea  on  the  road.  The  merchant  traveler  drinks  enor- 
mous quantities,  and  I  have  seen  a  couple  of  these  worthies 
empty  a  twenty  cup  samovar  with  no  appearance  of  surfeit. 
So  much  hot  liquid  inside  generally  sets  them  into  a  perspi- 
ration. Nothing  but  loaf  sugar  is  used,  and  there  is  a  very 
common  practice  of  holding  a  lump  in  one  hand  and  follow- 
ing a  sip  of  the  unsweetened  tea  with  a  nibble  at  the  sugar. 
When  several  persons  are  engaged  in  this  rasping  process  a 
curious  sound  is  produced. 

There  are  many  Tartars  living  on  the  steppe,  but  we  saw 
very  little  of  them,  as  our  changes  were  made  at  the  Russian 


completed  before  the  other  was 
led  out.  When  the  horses  were 
ready,  the  driver  often  went  to 
fetch  his  dehar  and  make  his 
toilet.  In  this  way  we  would 
lose  five  or  ten  minutes,  a  small 
matter  by  itself,  but  a  large  one 
when  under  heavy  multiplica- 
tion. 


THE  DRIVER'S  TOILET. 


We  took  breakfast  and  dinner 
daily  in  the  peasants'  houses, 
which  we  found  very  much  like 
the  stations.  We  carried  our 
own  tea  and  sugar,  and  with  a 
fair  supply  of  provisions,  added 
what  we  could  obtain.  Tea  was 
the  great  solace  of  the  journey, 
and  proved,  above  all  others,  the 
beverage  which  cheers.  I  could 
swallow  several  cups  at  a  sitting, 


MODE    OF  SPINNING. 


545 


villages.  Before  the  reign  of  Catherine  II.  there  was  but  a 
small  population  between  Tumen  and  Tomsk,  and  the  road 
was  more  a  fiction  than  a  fact.  The  Governor  General  of 
Siberia  persuaded  Catherine  to  let  him  have  all  conscripts  of 
one  levy  instead  of  sending  them  to  the  army.  He  settled 
them  in  villages  along  the  route  over  the  steppe,  and  the  wis- 
dom of  his  policy  was  very  soon  apparent.  The  present 
population  is  made  up  of  the  descendants  of  these  and  other 
early  settlers,  together  with  exiles  and  voluntary  emigrants 
of  the  present  century.  Several  villages  have  a  bad  reputa- 
tion, and  I  heard  stories  of  robbery  and  murder.  In  general 
the  dwellers  on  the  steppe  are  reputable,  and  they  certainly 
impressed  me  favorably. 

I  was  told  by  a  Russian  that  Catherine  once  thought  of 
giving  the  Siberians  a  constitution  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  but  was  dissuaded  from  so  doing 
by  one  of  her  ministers. 

The  villages  were  generally  built  each  in  a  single  street,  or 
at  most,  in  two  streets.  The  largest  houses  had  yards,  or 
enclosures,  into  which  we 
drove  when  stopping  for 
breakfast  or  dinner.  The 
best  windows  were  of  glass 
or  talc,  fixed  in  frames,  and 
generally  made  double.  The 
poorer  peasants  contented 
themselves  with  windows  of 
ox  or  cow  stomachs,  scraped 
thin  and  stretched  in  drying. 
There  were  no  iron  stoves 
in  any  house  I  visited,  the 
Russian  peitcha  or  brick 
stove  being  universal.  Very 
often  we  found  the  women 

,       .   ,  ,    .  .  WOMEN  SPINNING. 

and  girls  engaged  in  spin- 
ning.   No  wheel  is  used  for  this  purpose,  the  entire  apparatus 
being  a  hand  spindle  and  a  piece  of  board.    The  flax  is  fast- 
35 


54G 


AN    UNSUCCESSFUL  CONSPIRACY. 


cncd  on  an  upright  board,  and  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand 
gather  the  fibres  and  begin  the  formation  of  a  thread.  The 
right  hand  twirls  the  spindle,  and  by  skillful  manipulation  a 
good  thread  is  formed  with  considerable  rapidity. 

A  great  deal  of  hemp  and  flax  is  raised  upon  the  steppe, 
and  we  found  rope  abundant,  cheap,  and  good.  I  bought  ten 
fathoms  of  half-inch  rope  for  forty  copecks,  a  peasant  bring- 
ing it  to  a  house  where  we  breakfasted.  When  I  paid  for  it 
the  mistress  of  the  house  quietly  appropriated  ten  copecks, 
remarking  that  the  rope  maker  owed  her  that  amount.  She 
talked  louder  and  more  continuously  than  any  other  woman 
I  met  in  Siberia,  and  awakened  my  wonder  by  going  bare- 
footed into  an  open  shed  and  remaining  there  several  minutes. 
She  stood  in  snow  and  on  ice,  but  appeared  quite  unconcern- 
ed. Our  thermometer  at  the  time  showed  a  temperature  of 
21°  below  zero. 

The  only  city  on  the  steppe  is  Omsk,  at  the  junction  of 
the  Om  and  Irtish,  and  the  capital  of  "Western  Siberia.  It 
is  said  to  contain  twelve  thousand  inhabitants,  and  its  build- 
ings are  generally  well  constructed.  We  did  not  follow  the 
post  route  through  Omsk,  but  took  a  cut-off  that  carried  us 
to  the  northward  and  saved  a  hundred  versts  of  sleigh  riding. 
The  city  was  founded  in  order  to  have  a  capital  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  Kirghese  frontier,  but  since  its  construction  the 
frontier  line  has  removed  far  away. 

In  1834  a  conspiracy,  extending  widely  through  Siberia, 
was  organized  at  Onisk.  M.  Piotrowski  gives  an  account  of 
it,  from  which  I  abridge  the  following : 

It  was  planned  by  the  Abbe  Sierosiuski,  a  Polish  Catholic 
priest  who  had  been  exiled  for  taking  part  in  the  rebellion  of 
1831.  He  was  sent  to  serve  in  the  ranks  of  a  Cossack  regi- 
ment in  Western  Siberia,  and  after  a  brief  period  of  military 
duty  was  appointed  teacher  in  the  military  school  at  Omsk. 
His  position  gave  him  opportunity  to  project  a  rebellion.  His 
plan  was  well  laid,  and  found  ready  supporters  among  other 
exiles,  especially  the  Poles.  Some  ambitious  Russians  and 
Tartars  were  in  the  secret.    The  object  was  to  secure  the 


FLOGGING    WITH    THE  STICK. 


547 


complete  independence  of  Siberia  and  the  release  of  all  pris- 
oners. In  the  event  of  failure  it  was  determined  to  march 
over  the  Kirghese  steppes  to  Tashkend,  and  attempt  to  reach 
British  India. 

Everything  was  arranged,  both  in  Eastern  and  Western 
Siberia.  The  revolt  was  to  begin  at  Omsk,  where  most  of 
the  conspirators  were  stationed,  and  where  there  was  an 
abundance  of  arms,  ammunition,  supplies,  and  money.  The 
evening  before  the  day  appointed  for  the  rising,  the  plot  was 
revealed  by  three  Polish  soldiers,  who  confessed  all  they 
knew  to  Colonel  Degrave,  the  governor  of  Omsk.  Sierosiuski 
and  his  fellow  conspirators  in  the  city  were  at  once  arrested, 
and  orders  were  despatched  over  the  whole  country  to  secure 
all  accomplices  and  suspected  persons.  About  a  thousand 
arrests  were  made,  and  as  soon  as  news  of  the  affair  reached 
St.  Petersburg,  a  commission  of  inquiry  was  appointed.  The 


FLOGGING   WITH  STICKS. 


investigations  lasted  until  1837,  when  they  were  concluded 
and  the  sentences  confirmed. 

Six  principal  offenders,  including  the  chief,  were  each  con- 
demned to  seven  thousand  blows  of  the  plette,  or  stick,  while 
walking  the  gauntlet  between  two  files  of  soldiers.  This  is 
equivalent  to  a  death  sentence,  as  very  few  men  can  survive 
more  than  four  thousand  blows.    Only  one  of  the  six  out- 


548 


CITY    OF  TOBOLSK. 


lived  the  day  when  the  punishment  was  inflicted,  some  falling 
dead  before  the  full  number  of  strokes  had  been  given.  The 
minor  offenders  were  variously  sentenced,  according  to  the 
extent  of  their  guilt,  flogging  with  the  stick  being  followed 
by  penal  colonization  or  military  service  in  distant  garrisons. 

It  is  said  that  the  priest  Sierosiuski  while  undergoing  his 
punishment  recited  in  a  clear  voice  the  Latin  prayer,  "  Misere 
mei,  Deus,  secundum  magnam  misericordium  tuam." 

On  approaching  the  Irtish  we  found  it  bordered  by  hills 
which  presented  steep  banks  toward  the  river.  The  opposite 
bank  was  low  and  quite  level.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of  most 
rivers  in  Russia  that  the  right  banks  rise  into  bluffs,  while 
the  opposite  shores  are  low  and  flat.  The  Yolga  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  this,  all  the  way  from  Tver  to  Astrachan,  and  the 
same  feature  is  observable  in  most  of  the  Siberian  streams 
that  reach  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Yarious  conjectures  account 
for  it,  but  none  are  satisfactory  to  scientific  men. 

Steamboats  have  ascended  to  Omsk,  but  there  is  not  suffi- 
cient traffic  to  make  regular  navigation  profitable.  We  cross- 
ed the  Irtish  two  hundred  and  seventy  versts  south  of  Tobolsk, 
a  city  familiar  to  American  readers  from  its  connection  with 
the  "  Story  of  Elizabeth."  The  great  road  formerly  passed 
through  Tobolsk,  and  was  changed  when  a  survey  of  the 
country  showed  that  two  hundred  versts  might  be  saved. 
Formerly  all  exiles  to  Siberia  were  first  sent  to  that  city, 
where  a  "  Commission  of  Transportation"  held  constant  ses- 
sion. From  Tobolsk  the  prisoners  were  told  off  to  the  differ- 
ent governments,  provinces,  districts,  and  '  circles,'  and  as- 
signed to  the  penalties  prescribed  by  their  sentences. 

Many  prominent  exiles  have  lived  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  government  of  Tobolsk,  especially  at  Beresov  on  the  river 
Ob.  Menshikoff,  a  favorite  of  Peter  the  Great,  died  there  in 
exile,  and  so  did  the  Prince  Dolgorouki  and  the  count  Oster- 
man.  It  is  said  the  body  of  Menshikoff  was  buried  in  the 
frozen  earth  at  Beresov,  and  found  perfectly  preserved  a  hun- 
dred years  after  its  interment.  In  that  region  the  ground 
never  thaws  more  than  a  foot  or  two  from  the  surface  ;  below 


RESPONSIBILITY    OF    AN  ESCORT. 


549 


to  an  unknown  depth  it  is  hardened  by  perpetual  frost. 
Many  Poles  have  been  involuntary  residents  of  this  region, 
and  contributed  to  the  development  of  its  few  resources. 

North  of  Tobolsk,  the  Ostiaks  are  the  principal  aboriginals, 
and  frequently  wander  as  far  south  as  Omsk.  Before  the 
Russian  occupation  of  Siberia  the  natives  carried  on  a  trade 
with  the  Tartars  of  Central  Asia,  and  the  abundance  and 
cheapness  of  their  furs  made  them  attractive  customers. 
Marco  Polo  mentions  a  people  "  in  the  dark  regions  of  the 
North,  who  employ  dogs  to  draw  their  sledges,  and  trade  with 
the  merchants  from  Bokhara."  There  is  little  doubt  he  re- 
ferred to  the  Ostiaks  and  Samoyedes. 

A  Polish  lady  exiled  to  Beresov  in  1839,  described  in  her 
journal  her  sensation  at  seeing  a  herd  of  tame  bears  driven 
through  the  streets  to  the  market  place,  just  as  cattle  are 
driven  elsewhere.  She  records  that  while  descending  the 
Irtish  she  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  overboard.  The  soldier 
escorting  her  was  in  great  alarm  at  the  accident,  and  fairly 
wept  for  joy  when  she  was  rescued.  He  explained  through 
his  tears  that  her  death  would  have  been  a  serious  calamity 
to  him. 

"  I  shall  be  severely  punished,"  he  said,  "  if  any  harm  be- 
falls you,  and,  for  my  sake,  I  hope  you  won't  try  to  drown 
yourself,  but  will  keep  alive  and  well  till  I  get  rid  of  you." 

Tobolsk  is  on  the  site  of  the  Tartar  settlement  of  Sibeer, 
from  which  the  name  of  Siberia  is  derived.  In  the  days  of 
Genghis  Khan  northern  Asia  was  overrun  and  wrested  from 
its  aboriginal  inhabitants.  Tartar  supremacy  was  undisputed 
until  near  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the  Tar- 
tars lost  Kazan  and  everything  else  west  of  the  Urals.  Dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Ivan  the  Cruel,  a  difficulty  arose  between 
the  Czar  and  some  of  the  Don  Cossacks,  and,  as  the  Czar  did 
not  choose  to  emigrate,  the  Cossacks  left  their  country  for 
their  country's  good.  Headed  by  one  Yermak,  they  retired 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  Ural  mountains,  where  they  started  a 
marauding  business  with  limited  liability  and  restricted 
capital. 


550  CONQUEST    OP    EASTERN  SIBERIA. 

Crossing  the  Urals,  Ycrmak  subjugated  the  country  west 
of  the  Irtish  and  founded  a  fortress  on  the  site  of  Sibeer. 
*  He  overpowered  all  the  Tartars  in  his  vicinity,  and  received 
a  pardon  for  himself  and  men  in  return  for  his  conquest. 
The  czar,  as  a  mark  of  special  fondness,  sent  Yermak  a  suit 
of  armor  from  his  own  wardrobe.  Yermak  went  one  day  to 
dine  with  some  Tartar  chiefs,  and  was  arrayed  for  the  first 
time  in  his  new  store  clothes.  One  tradition  says  he  was 
treacherously  killed  by  the  Tartars  on  this  occasion,  and 
thrown  in  the  river.  Another  story  says  he  fell  in  by  acci- 
dent, and  the  weight  of  his  armor  drowned  him.  A  monu- 
ment at  Tobolsk  -commemorates  his  deeds. 

No  leader  rose  to  fill  Yermak's  place,  and  the  Russians 
became  divided  into  several  independent  bands.  They  had 
the  good  sense  not  to  quarrel,  and  remained  firm  in  the  pur- 
suit of  conquest.  They  pushed  eastward  from  the  Irtish  and 
founded  Tomsk  in  1604.  Ten  years  later  the  Tartars  united 
and  attempted  to  expel  the  Russians.  They  surrounded 
Tomsk  and  besieged  it  for  a  long  time.  Russia  was  then  dis- 
tracted by  civil  commotions  and  the  war  with  the  Poles,  and 
could  not  assist  the  Cossacks.  The  latter  held  out  with  great 
bravery,  and  at  length  gained  a  decisive  victory.  From  that 
time  the  Tartars  made  no  serious  and  organized  resistance. 

Subsequent  expeditions  for  Siberian  conquest  generally 
originated  at  Tomsk.  Cossacks  pushed  to  the  north,  south, 
and  east,  forming  settlements  in  the  valley  of  the  Yenesei 
and  among  the  Yakuts  of  the  Lena.  In  1639  they  reached 
the  shores  of  the  Ohotsk  sea,  and  took  possession  of  all  East- 
ern Siberia  to  the  Aldan  mountains. 

I  believe  history  has  no  parallel  to  some  features  of  this 
conquest.  A  robber-chieftain  with  a  few  hundred  followers, 
— himself  and  his  men  under  ban,  and,  literally,  the  first  ex- 
iles to  Siberia — passes  from  Europe  to  Asia.  In  seventy 
years  these  Cossacks  and  their  descendants,  with  little  aid 
from  others,  conquered  a  region  containing  nearly  five  million 
square  miles.  Everywhere  displaying  a  spirit  of  adventure 
and  determined  bravery,  they  reduced  the  Tartars  to  the  most 


PORTRAIT    OF  YERMAK. 


551 


perfect  submission.  The  cost  of  their  expeditions  was  en- 
tirely borne  by  individuals  who  sought  remuneration  in  the 
lucrative  trade  they  opened.  The  captured  territory  became 
Russian,  though  the  government  had  neither  paid  for  nor  con- 
trolled the  conquest. 

I  saw  the  portrait  and  bust  of  Yermak,  but  no  one  could 
assure  me  of  their  fidelity.  The  face  was  thoroughly  Rus- 
sian, and  the  lines  of  character  were  such  as  one  might  ex- 
pect from  the  history  of  the  man.  He  was  represented  in 
the  suit  of  armor  he  wore  at  his  death. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 


THE  evening  after  we  passed  the  Irtish,  a  severe  bouran 
arose.  As  the  night  advanced  the  wind  increased.  The 
road  was  filled  and  apparently  obliterated.  The  yemshicks 
found  it  difficult  to  keep  the  track,  and  frequently  descended 
to  look  for  it.  Each  interval  of  search  was  a  little  longer 
than  the  preceding  one,  so  that  we  passed  considerable  time 
in  impatient  waiting.  About  midnight  we  reached  a  station, 
where  we  were  urged  to  rest  until  morning,  the  people  declar- 
ing it  unsafe  to  proceed.  A  slight  lull  in  the  storm  decided 
us  and  the  yemshicks  to  go  forward,  but  as  we  set  out  from 
the  station  it  seemed  like  driving  into  the  spray  at  the  foot 
of  Niagara.  Midway  between  the  station,  we  wandered  from 
the  route  and  appeared  hopelessly  lost,  with  the  prospect  of 
waiting  until  morning. 

Just  before  nightfall,  we  saw  three  wolves  on  the  steppe, 
pointing  their  sharp  noses  in  our  direction,  and  apparently 
estimating  how  many  dinners  our  horses  would  make.  Whether 
they  took  the  mammoth  into  account  I  cannot  say,  but  pre- 
sume he  was  not  considered.  Wolves  are  numerous  in  all 
Siberia,  and  are  not  admired  by  the  biped  inhabitants.  When 
our  road  seemed  utterly  lost,  and  our  chances  good  for  a  bi- 
vouac in  the  steppe,  we  heard  a  dismal  howl  in  a  momentary 
lull  of  the  wind. 

"Yolk,"  (wolf,)  said  the  yeinshick,  who  was  clearing  away 
the  snow  near  the  sleigh. 

Again  we  heard  the  sound,  and  saw  the  horses  lift  their 
ears  uneasily. 

An  instant  later  the  fury  of  the  wind  returned.    The  snow 
(552) 


LOST    IN    THE    SNOW  STORM. 


553 


whirled  in  dense  clouds,  and  the  roaring  of  the  tempest 
drowned  all  other  sounds.  Had  there  been  fifty  howling 
wolv.es,  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us,  we  could  have  known 
nothing  until  they  burst  upon  us  through  the  curtain  of  drift- 
ing snow. 

It  was  a  time  of  suspense.  I  prepared  to  throw  off  my 
outer  garments  in  case  we  were  attacked,  and  roused  the  doc- 
tor, who  had  been  some  time  asleep.  At  the  cry  of  "wolf," 
he  was  very  soon  awake,  though  he  did  not  lose  that  calm 
serenity  that  always  distinguished  him.  The  yemshicks  con- 
tinued their  search  for  the  road,  one  of  them  keeping  near 
the  sleigh  and  the  other  walking  in  circles  in  the  vicinity. 
Our  position  was  not  enviable. 


LOST  IN  A  SNOW  STORM. 


To  be  served  up  an  natural  to  the  lupine  race  was  never 
my  ambition,  and  I  would  have  given  a  small  sum,  in  cash  or 
approved  paper,  for  a  sudden  transportation  to  the  Astor, 
House,  but  with  my  weight  and  substance,  all  the  more  de- 


554  OBJECTS    OF    THEIR  ATTACKS. 

sirable  to  the  wolves,  a  change  of  base  was  not  practicable. 
Our  only  fire-arms  were  a  shot-gun  and  a  pistol,  the  latter  un- 
serviceable, and  packed  in  the  doctor's  valise.  Of  course  the 
wolves  would  first  cat  the  horses,  and  reserve  us  for  dessert. 
We  should  have  felt,  during  the  preliminaries,  much  like 
those  unhappy  persons,  in  the  French  revolution,  who  were 
last  in  a  batch  of  victims  to  the  guillotine. 

After  long  delay  the  road  was  discovered,  and  as  the 
wolves  did  not  come  we  proceeded.  We  listened  anxiously 
for  the  renewal  of  their  howling,  but  our  ears  did  not  catch 
the  unwelcome  sound.  The  doctor  exhibited  no  alarm.  As 
he  was  an  old  traveler,  I  concluded  to  follow  his  example, 
and  go  to  sleep. 

In  ordinary  seasons  wolves  are  not  dangerous  to  men, 
though  they  commit  more  or  less  havoc  among  live  stock. 
Sheep  and  pigs  are  their  favorite  prey,  as  they  are  easily  cap- 
tured, and  do  not  resist.  Horses  and  cattle  are  overpowered 
by  wolves  acting  in  packs ;  the  hungry  brutes  displaying  con- 
siderable strategy.  A  gentleman  told  me  he  once  watched  a 
dozen  wolves  attacking  a  powerful  bull.  Some  worried  him 
in  front  and  secured  his  attention  while  others  attempted  to 
cut  his  ham-strings.  The  effort  was  repeated  several  times, 
the  wolves  relieving  each  other  in  exposed  positions.  At 
length  the  bull  was  crippled  and  the  first  part  of  the  struggle 
gained.  The  wolves  began  to  lick  their  chops  in  anticipation 
of  a  meal,  and  continued  to  worry  their  expected  prey  up  to 
the  pitch  of  exhaustion.  The  gentleman  shot  two  of  them 
and  drove  the  others  into  the  forest.  He  could  do  no  more 
than  put  the  bull  out  of  his  misery.  On  departing  he  looked 
back  and  saw  the  wolves  returning  to  their  now  ready  feast. 

The  best  parts  of  Russia  for  wolf-hunting  are  in  the 
western  governments,  where  there  is  less  game  and  more 
population  than  in  Siberia.  It  is  in  these  regions  that  trav- 
elers are  sometimes  pursued  by  wolves,  but  such  incidents 
are  not  frequent.  It  is  only  in  the  severest  winters,  when 
driven  to  desperation  by  hunger,  that  the  wolves  dare  to  at- 
tack men.    The  horses  are  the  real  objects  of  their  pursuit, 


A    WOLF  HUNT. 


555 


but  when  once  a  party  is  overtaken  the  wolves  make  no  nice 
distinctions,  and  horses  and  men  are  alike  devoured.  Apro- 
pos of  hunting  I  heard  a  story  of  a  thrilling  character. 

"It  had  been,"  said  the  gentleman  who  narrated  the  inci- 
dent, "  a  severe  winter  in  Vitebsk  and  Yilna.  I  had  spent 
several  weeks  at  the  country  residence  of  a  friend  in  Vitebsk, 
and  we  heard,  during  the  latter  part  of  my  stay,  rumors  of 
the  unusual  ferocity  of  the  wolves. 

One  day  Kanchin,  my  host,  proposed  a  wolf-hunt.  c  We 
shall  have  capital  sport,'  said  he,  'for  the  winter  has  made 
the  wolves  hungry,  and  they  will  be  on  the  alert  when  they 
hear  our  decoy.' 

We  prepared  a  sledge,  one  of  the  common  kind,  made  of 
stout  withes,  woven  like  basket-work,  and  firmly  fastened  to 
the  frame  and  runners.  It  was  wide  enough  for  both  of  us 
and  the  same  height  all  around  so  that  we  could  shoot  in  any 
direction  except  straight  forward.  We  took  a  few  furs 
to  keep  us  warm,  and  each  had  a  short  gun  of  large  bore, 
capable  of  carrying  a  heavy  load  of  buck-shot.  Rifles  are  not 
desirable  weapons  where  one  cannot  take  accurate  aim.  As 
a  precaution  we  stowed  two  extra  guns  in  the  bottom  of  the 
sledge. 

The  driver,  Ivan,  on  learning  the  business  before  him,  was 
evidently  reluctant  to  go,  but  as  a  Russian  servant  has  no 
choice  beyond  obeying  his  master,  the  man  offered  no  objec- 
tion. Three  spirited  horses  were  attached,  and  I  heard  Kan- 
chin order  that  every  part  of  the  harness  should  be  in  the  best 
condition. 

We  had  a  pig  confined  in  a  strong  cage  of  ropes  and  withes, 
that  he  might  last  longer  than  if  dragged  by  the  legs.  A 
rope  ten  feet  long  was  attached  to  the  cage  and  ready  to  be 
tied  to  the  sledge. 

We  kept  the  pig  in  furs  at  the  bottom  of  the  sledge,  and 
drove  silently  into  the  forest.  The  last  order  given  by  Kan- 
chin was  to  open  the  gates  of  the  courtyard  and  hang  a  bright 
lantern  in  front.  I  asked  the  reason  of  this,  and  he  replied 
with  a  smile  : 


556 


THE    SPORT  COMMENCES. 


"  If  we  should  be  going  at  full  speed  on  our  return,  I  don't 
wish  to  stop  till  we  reach  the  middle  of  the  yard." 

As  by  mutual  consent  neither  uttered  a  word  as  we  drove 
along.  We  carried  no  bells,  and  there  was  no  creaking  of 
any  part  of  the  sledge.  Ivan  did  not  speak  but  held  his  reins 
taut  and  allowed  the  horses  to  take  their  own  pace.  In  his 
secure  and  warm  covering  the  pig  was  evidently  asleep.  The 
moon  and  stars  were  perfectly  unclouded,  and  there  was  no 
motion  of  anything  in  the  forest.  The  road  was  excellent, 
but  we  did  not  meet  or  pass  a  single  traveler.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve I  ever  felt  silence  more  forcibly  than  then. 

The  forest  in  that  region  is  not  dense,  and  on  either  side 
of  the  road  there  is  a  space  of  a  hundred  yards  or  more  en- 
tirely open.  The  snow  lay  crisp  and  sparkling,  and  as  the 
country  was  but  slightly  undulating  we  could  frequently  see 
long  distances.  The  apparent  movement  of  the  trees  as  we 
drove  past  them  caused  me  to  fancy  the  woods  filled  with  an- 
imate forms  to  whom  the  breeze  gave  voices  that  mocked  us. 

About  eight  versts  from  the  house  we  reached  a  cross  road 
that  led  deeper  into  the  forest.  " JVa prava"  in  a  low  voice 
from  my  companion  turned  us  to  the  right  into  the  road. 
Eight  or  ten  versts  further  Kanchin,  in  the  same  low  tone, 
commanded  "  Stoi."  Without  a  word  Ivan  drew  harder  upon 
his  reins,  and  we  came  to  a  halt.  At  a  gesture  from  my 
friend  the  team  was  turned  about. 

Kanchin  stepped  carefully  from  the  sledge  and  asked  me 
to  hand  him  the  rope  attached  to  the  cage.  He  tied  this  to 
the  rear  cross-bar,  and  removing  his  cloak  told  me  to  do  the 
same.  Getting  our  guns,  ammunition,  and  ourselves  in  readi- 
ness, and  taking  our  seats  with  our  backs  toward  the  driver, 
we  threw  out  the  pig  and  his  cage  and  ordered  Ivan  to  pro- 
ceed. 

The  first  cry  from  the  pig  awoke  an  answering  howl  in  a 
dozen  directions.  The  horses  sprang  as  if  struck  with  a  heavy 
hand,  and  I  felt  my  blood  chill  at  the  dismal  sound.  The 
driver  with  great  difficulty  kept  his  team  from  breaking  into 
a  gallop. 


THE    TABLE    TURNED . 


557 


Five  minutes  later,  a  wolf  came  galloping  from  the  forest 
on  the  left  side  where  I  sat. 

"  Don't  fire  till  he  is  quite  near,"  said  Kanchin,  "we  shall 
have  no  occasion  to  make  long  shots." 

The  wolf  was  distinctly  visible  on  the  clean  snow,  and  I 
allowed  him  to  approach  within  twenty  yards.  I  fired,  and 
he  fell.  As  I  turned  to  re-load  Kanchin  raised  his  gun  to 
shoot  a  wolf  approaching  the  right  of  the  sledge.  His  shot 
was  successful,  the  wolf  falling  dead  upon  the  snow. 

I  re-loaded  very  quickly,  and  when  I  looked  up  there  were 
three  wolves  running  toward  me,  while  as  many  more  were 
visible  on  Kanchin's  side.  My  companion  raised  his  eyes 
when  his  gun  was  ready  and  gave  a  start  that  thrilled  me 
with  horror.  Ivan  was  immovable  in  his  place,  and  holding 
with  all  his  might  upon  the  reins. 

"Poshol/"  shouted  Kanchin. 

The  howling  grew  more  terrific.  Whatever  way  we  looked 
we  could  see  the  wolves  emerging  from  the  forest ; 

"  With  their  long  gallop,  which  can  tire, 
The  hounds'  deep  hate,  the  hunter's  fire." 

Not  only  behind  and  on  either  side  but  away  to  the  front,  I 
could  see  their  dark  forms.  We  fired  and  loaded  and  fired 
again,  every  shot  telling  but  not  availing  to  stop  the  pursuit. 

The  driver  did  not  need  Kanchin's  shout  of  Uiposhol!"  and 
the  horses  exerted  every  nerve  without  being  urged.  But 
with  all  our  speed  we  could  not  outstrip  the  wolves  that  grew 
every  moment  more  numerous.  If  we  could  only  keep  up 
our  pace  we  might  escape,  but  should  a  horse  stumble,  the 
harness  give  way,  or  the  sledge  overturn,  we  were  hopelessly 
lost.  We  threw  away  our  furs  and  cloaks  keeping  only  our 
arms  and  ammunition.  The  wolves  hardly  paused  over  these 
things  but  steadily  adhered  to  the  pursuit. 

Suddenly  I  thought  of  a  new  danger  that  menaced  us.  I 
grasped  Kanchin's  arm  and  asked  how  we  could  turn  the 
corner  into  the  main  road.  Should  we  attempt  it  at  full  speed 


'558 


A   FATAL  ACCIDENT. 


the  sledge  would  be  overturned.  If  we  slackened  our  pace 
the  wolves  would  be  upon  us. 

I  felt  my  friend  trembling 'in  my  grasp  but  his  voice  was 
firm. 

"  When  I  say  the  word,"  he  replied,  giving  me  his  hunting 
knife,  alean  over  and  cut  the  rope  of  the  decoy.  That  will 
detain  them  a  short  time.  Soon  as  you  have  done  so  lie  down 
on  the  left  side  of  the  sledge  and  cling  to  the  cords  across 
the  bottom." 

Then  turning  to  Ivan  he  ordered  him  to  slacken  speed  a 
little,  but  only  a  little,  at  the  corner,  and  keep  the  horses 
from  running  to  either  side  as  he  turned.  This  done  Kan- 
chin  clung  to  the  left  side  of  the  sledge  prepared  to  step  upon 
its  fender  and  counteract,  if  possible,  our  centrifugal  force. 

We  approached  the  main  road,  and  just  as  I  discovered  the 
open  space  at  the  crossing  Kanchin  shouted, — 

"  Strike !" 

I  whipped  off  the  rope  in  an  instant  and  we  left  our  decoy 
behind  us.  The  wolves  stopped,  gathered  densely  about  the 
prize,  and  began  quarreling  over  it.  Only  a  few  remained  to 
tear  the  cage  asunder.  The  rest,  after  a  brief  halt,  contin- 
ued the  pursuit,  but  the  little  time  they  lost  was  of  precious 
value  to  us. 

We  approached  the  dreaded  turning.  Kanchin  placed  his 
feet  upon  the  fender  and  fastened  his  hands  into  the  net- work 
of  the  sledge.  I  lay  down  in  the  place  assigned  me,  and 
never  did  drowning  man  cling  to  a  rope  more  firmly  than  I 
clung  to  the  bottom  of  our  vehicle.  As  we  swept  around  the 
corner  the  sledge  was  whirled  in  air,  turned  upon  its  side 
and  only  saved  from  complete  oversetting  by  the  positions  of 
Kanchin  and  myself. 

Just  as  the  sledge  righted,  and  ran  upon  both,  runners,  I 
heard  a  piercing  cry.  Ivan,  occupied  with  his  horses,  was 
notable  to  cling  like  ourselves;  he  fell  from  his  seat,  and 
hardly  struck  the  snow  before  the  wolves  were  upon  him. 
That  one  shriek  that  filled  my  ears  was  all  lie  could  utter. 


SAFE    AT  HOME. 


559 


The  reins  were  trailing,  but  fortunately  where  they  were 
not  likely  to  be  entangled.  The  horses  needed  no  driver; 
all  the  whips  in  the  world  could  not  increase  their  speed. 


FATAL  EESULT. 


Two  of  our  guns  were  lost  as  we  turned  from  the  by-road, 
but  the  two  that  lay  under  me  in  the  sledge  were  providen- 
tially saved.  We  fired  as  fast  as  possible  into  the  dark  mass 
that  filled  the  road  not  twenty  yards  behind  us.  Every  shot 
told  but  the  pursuit  did  not  lag.  To-day  I  shudder  as  I  think 
of  that  surging  mass  of  gray  forms  with  eyes  glistening  like 
fireballs,  and  the  serrated  jaws  that  opened  as  if  certain  of  a 
feast. 

A  stern  chase  is  proverbially  a  long  one.  If  no  accident 
happened  to  sledge  or  horses  we  felt  certain  that  the  wolves 
which  followed  could  not  overtake  us. 

As  we  approached  home  our  horses  gave  signs  of  lagging, 
and  the  pursuing  wolves  came  nearer.  One  huge  beast 
sprang  at  the  sledge  and  actually  fastened  his  fore  paws  upon 
it.  I  struck  him  over  the  head  with  my  gun  and  he  released 
his  hold. 


560 


THREE    WOLF  STORIES. 


A  moment  later  I  heard  the  barking  of  our  dogs  at  the 
house,  and  as  the  gleam  of  the  lantern  caught  my  eye  I  fell 
unconscious  to  the  bottom  of  the  sledge.  I  woke  an  hour 
later  and  saw  Kanchin  pacing  the  floor  in  silence.  Repeat- 
edly I  spoke  to  him  but  he  answered  only  in  monosyllables. 

The  next  day,  a  party  of  peasants  went  to  look  for  the 
remains  of  poor  Ivan.  A  few  shreds  of  clothing,  and  the 
cross  he  wore  about  his  neck,  were  all  the  vestiges  that  could  be 
found.  For  three  weeks  I  lay  ill  with  a  fever  and  returned 
to  St.  Petersburg  immediately  on  my  recovery.  Kanchin 
has  lived  in  seclusion  ever  since,  and  both  of  us  were  gray- 
haired  within  six  months." 

Before  the  construction  of  the  railway  between  Moscow 
and  Nijne  Novgorod  there  were  forest  guards  at  regular  in- 
tervals to  protect  the  road  from  bears  and  wolves.  The  men 
lived  in  huts  placed  upon  scaffoldings  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
high.  This  arrangement  served  a  double  purpose ;  the  guards 
could  see  farther  than  on  the  ground  and  they  were  safe  from 
nocturnal  attacks  of  their  four-footed  enemies. 

One  evening  at  a  dinner  party,  I  heard  several  anecdotes 
about  wolves,  of  which  I  preserve  two. 

"  I  was  once,"  said  a  gentleman,  "  pursued  by  ten  or  twelve 
wolves.  One  horse  fell  and  we  had  just  time  to  cut  the 
traces  of  the  other,  overturn  our  sleigh  and  get  under  as  in 
a  cage,  before  the  wolves  overtook  us.  We  thought  the  free 
horse  would  run  to  the  village  and  the  people  would  come  to 
rescue  us.  What  was  our  surprise  to  see  him  charge  upon 
the  wolves,  kill  two  with  his  hoofs  and  drive  away  the  rest. 
When  the  other  horse  recovered  we  harnessed  our  team  and 
drove  home." 

"And  I,"  said  another,  "was  once  attacked  when  on  foot. 
I  wore  a  new  pelisse  of  sheep-skin  and  a  pair  of  reindeer-skin 
boots.  Wolves  are  fond  of  deer  and  sheep,  and  they  eat 
skin  and  all  when  they  have  a  chance.  The  brutes  stripped 
off  my  pelisse  and  boots  without  harming  my  skin.  Just  as 
I  was  preparing  to  give  them  my  woolen  trousers,  some  peas- 
ants came  to  my  relief." 


david  Crockett's  story.  561 

Although  I  feared  my  auditors  would  be  incredulous,  I 
told  the  story  of  David  Crockett  when  treed  by  a  hundred  or 
more  prairie  wolves.  "  I  shot  away  all  my  ammunition,  and 
threw  away  my  gun  and  knife  among  them,  but  it  was  no 
use.  Finally,  I  thought  I  would  try  the  effect  of  music  and 
began  to  sing  '  Old  Hundred.'  Before  I  finished  the  first 
verse  every  wolf  put  his  fore  paws  to  his  ears  and  galloped 
off." 

My  story  did  not  produce  the  same  results  upon  my  audi- 
ence, but  almost  as  marked  a  one,  for  all  appreciated  its 
humor,  and  before  I  had  fairly  finished  a  burst  of  laughter 
resounded  through  the  room,  and  it  was  unanimously  voted 
that  Americans  could  excel  in  all  things,  not  excepting  Wolf 
Stories. 


36 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 


THE  many  vehicles  in  motion  made  a  good  road  twelve 
hours  after  the  storm  ceased.  The  thermometer  fell 
quite  low,  and  the  sharp  frost  hardened  the  track  and  enabled 
the  horses  to  run  rapidly.  I  found  the  temperature  varying 
from  25°  to  40°  below  zero  at  different  exposures.  This  was 
cold  enough,  in  fact,  too  cold  for  comfort,  and  we  were  oblig- 
ed to  put  on  all  our  furs.  When  fully  wrapped  I  could  have 
filled  the  eye  of  any  match-making  parent  in  Christendom, 
so  far  as  quantity  is  concerned.  The  doctor  walked  as  if 
the  icy  and  inhospitable  North  had  been  his  dwelling-place 
for  a  dozen  generations,  and  promised  to  continue  so  a  few 
hundred  years  longer.  We  were  about  as  agile  as  a  pair  of 
prize  hogs,  or  the  fat  boy  in  the  side  show  of  a  circus. 

My  beard  was  the  greatest  annoyance  that  showed  itself 
to  my  face,  and  I  regretted  keeping  it  uncut.  It  was  in  the 
way  in  a  great  many  ways.  When  it  was  outside  my  coat  I 
wanted  it  in,  and  when  it  was  inside  it  would  not  stay  there. 
It  froze  to  my  collar  and  seemed  studying  the  doctrine  of 
affinity.  A  sudden  motion  in  such  case  would  pull  my  chin 
painfully  and  tear  away  a  few  hairs.  It  was  neither  long  nor 
heavy,  but  could  hold  a  surprising  quantity  of  snow  and  ice. 
It  would  freeze  into  a  solid  mass,  and  when  thawing  required 
much  attention.  The  Russian  officers  shave  the  chin  habitu- 
ally, and  wear  their  hair  pretty  short  when  traveling.  I 
made  a  resolution  to  carry  my  beard  inviolate  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, but  frequently  wished  I  had  been  less  rash.  A  mus- 
tache makes  a  very  good  portable  thermometer  for  low  tem- 
peratures.   After  a  little  practice  one  can  estimate  within  a 

(562) 


NATURAL  THERMOMETERS. 


563 


few  degrees  any  stage  of  cold  below  zero,  Fahrenheit.  A 
mustache  will  frost  itself  from  the  breath  and  stiffen  slowly 
at  zero,  but  it  does  not  become  solid.  It  needs  no  waxing  to 
enable  it  to  hold  its  own  when  the  scale  descends  to  -10°  or 
thereabouts,  and  when  one  experiences  -15°  and  so  on  down- 
ward, he  will  feel  as  if  wearing  an  icicle  on  his  upper  lip. 
The  estimate  of  the  cold  is  to  be  based  on  the  time  required 
for  a  thorough  hardening  of  this  labial  ornament,  and  of 
course  the  rule  is  not  available  if  the  face  is  kept  covered. 

There  is  a  traveler's  story  that  a  freezing  nose  in  a  Rus- 
sian city  is  seized  upon  and  rubbed  by  the  bystanders  without 
explanation.  In  a  winter's  residence  and  travel  in  Russia  I 
never  witnessed  that  interesting  incident,  and  am  inclined  to 
scepticism  regarding  it.  The  thermometer  showed  -53°  while 
I  was  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  hovered  near  that  figure  for  sev- 
eral days.  Though  I 
constantly  hoped  to  see 
somebody's  nose  rubbed 
I  was  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. I  did  ob- 
serve several  noses  that 
might  have  been  sub- 
jected to  friction,  but  it 
is  quite  probable  the 
operation  would  have 
enraged  the  ruhbee. 

During  our  coldest 
nights  on  the  steppe  we 
had  the  unclouded 
heavens  in  all  their 
beauty.  The  stars 
shone  in  scintillating 
magnificence,  and  seemed  nearer  the  earth  than  I  ever  saw 
them  before.  In  the  north  was  a  brilliant  aurora  flashing  in 
long  beams  of  electric  light,  and  forming  a  fiery  arch  above 
the  fields  of  ice  and  snow.    Oh,  the  splendor  of  those  winter 


*  EXCUSE  MY  FAMILIARITY. 


5G4  CURIOUS   RESULTS   OF   FROST  ON  HORSES. 

nights  in  the  north !  It  cannot  be  forgotten,  and  it  cannot  be 
described. 

Twilight  is  long  in  a  Siberian  winter,  both  at  the  com- 
mencement and  the  close  of  day.  Morning  is  the  best  time 
to  view  it.  A  faint  glimmer  appears  in  the  quarter  where 
the  sun  is  to  rise,  but  increases  so  slowly  that  one  often 
doubts  that  he  has  really  seen  it.  The  gleam  of  light  grows 
broader ;  the  heavens  above  it  become  purple,  then  scarlet, 
then  golden,  and  gradually  change  to  the  whiteness  of  silver. 
When  the  sun  peers  above  the  horizon  the  whole  scene  be- 
comes dazzlingly  brilliant  from  the  reflection  of  his  rays  on 
the  snow.  In  the  coldest  mornings  there  is  sometimes  a 
cloud  or  fog-bank  resting  near  the  earth,  from  the  congela- 
tion and  falling  of  all  watery  particles  in  the  atmosphere. 
When  the  sun  strikes  this  cloud  and  one  looks  through  it  the 
air  seems  filled  with  millions  of  microscopic  gems,  throwing 
off  many  combinations  of  prismatic  colors,  and  agitated  and 
mingled  by  some  unseen  force.  Gradually  the  cloud  melts 
away  as  it  receives  the  direct  rays  of  light  and  heat. 

The  intense  cold 
upon  the  road  af- 
fects horses  by  coat- 
ing them  with  white 
frost.  Their  per- 
spiration congeals 
and  covers  them  as 
one  may  see  the 
grass  covered  in  a 
frosted  horses.  November  morn- 

ing. Nature  has  dressed  these  horses  warmly,  and  very  often 
their  hair  may  justly  be  called  fur.  They  do  not  appear  to 
suffer  from  the  cold ;  they  are  never  blanketed,  and  their 
stables  are  little  better  than  open  sheds.  One  of  their  an- 
noyances is  the  congelation  of  their  breath,  and  in  the  cold- 
est weather  the  yemshicks  are  frequently  obliged  to  break 
away  the  icicles  that  form  around  their  horses'  mouths.  I 
have  seen  a  horse  reach  the  end  of  a  course  with  his  nose 


THE    CITY    OF  TUMEN. 


565 


encircled  in  a  row  of  icy  spikes,  resembling  the  decoration 
sometimes  attached  to  a  weaning  calf. 

In  a  clear  morning  or  evening  of  the  coldest  days  the 
smoke  from  the  chimneys  in  the  villages  rises  very  slowly. 
Gaining  a  certain  height,  it  spreads  out  as  if  unable  to  as- 
cend farther.  It  is  always  light  in  color  and  density,  and 
when  touched  by  the  sun's  rays  appears  faintly  crimsoned  or 
gilded.  Once  when  we  reached  a  small  hill  dominating  a 
village,  I  could  see  the  cloud  of  smoke  below  me  agitated  like 
the  ground  swell  of  the  ocean.  I  had  only  a  moment  to  look 
upon  it  ere  we  descended  to  the  level  of  the  street. 

I  have  not  recorded  the  incidents  of  each  day  on  the  steppe 
in  chronological  order,  on  account  of  their  similarity  and 
monotony.  Just  one  week  after  our  departure  from  Barnaool 
we  observed  that  the  houses  were  constructed  of  pine  instead 
of  birch,  and  the  country  began  to  change  in  character.  At 
a  station  where  a  fiery-tempered  woman  required  us  to  pay 
in  advance  for  our  horses,  we  were  only  twenty  versts  from 
Tumen. 

It  is  but  a  step  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  and  it  is 
only  a  steppe  (a  thousand  miles  wide)  between  Tomsk  and 
Tumen.  Travelers  from  Irkutsk  to  St.  Petersburg  consider 
their  journey  pretty  nearly  accomplished  on  getting  thus  far 
along.  The  Siberians  make  light  of  distances  that  would 
frighten  many  Americans.  "  From  Tumen  you  will  have 
only  sixteen  hundred  versts  to  the  end  of  the  ^frilway,"  said 
a  gentleman  to  me  one  day.  A  lady  at  Krasnoyarsk  said  I 
ought  to  wait  until  spring  and  visit  her  gold  mines.  I  asked 
their  locality,  and  received  the  reply,  "  Close  by  here  ;  only 
four  hundred  versts  away.  You  can  go  almost  there  in  a 
carriage,  and  will  have  only  a  hundred  and  twenty  versts  on 
horseback." 

The  best  portion  of  Tumen  is  on  a  bluff  eighty  or  a  hund- 
red feet  above  the  river  Tura.  The  lower  town  spreads  over 
a  wide  meadow,  and  its  numerous  windmills  at  once  remind- 
ed me  of  Stockton,  California.  We  happened  to  arrive  on 
market  day,  when  the  peasants  from  the  surrounding  country 


566 


MANUFACTURE    OF  CARPETS. 


were  gathered  in  all  their  glory  for  purposes  of  traffic.  How 
such  a  lot  of  merchandise  of  nearly  every  kind  under  the 
Siberian  sun  could  find  either  buyer  or  seller,  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine.  The  market-place  was  densely  thronged,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  very  little  traffic  in  progress. 

The  population  of  Tumen  is  about  twenty  thousand,  and 
said  to  be  rapidly  increasing.  The  town  is  prosperous,  as  its 
many  new  and  well-built  houses  bear  witness.  It  has  shorn 
Tobolsk  of  nearly  all  her  commerce,  and  left  her  to  mourn 
her  former  greatness.  It  is  about  three  hundred  versts  from 
the  ridge  of  the  Urals,  and  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Tura.  Half  a  dozen  steamers  were  frozen  in  and  awaited 
the  return  of  spring,  their  machinery  being  stored  to  prevent 
its  rusting. 

In  the  public  square  of  Tumen  there  was  a  fountain,  the 
first  I  saw  in  Siberia.  Men,  women,  boys,  and  girls  were 
filling  buckets  and  barrels,  which  they  dragged  away  on  sleds. 

When  we  returned  from  our  drive,  and  were  seated  at  din- 
ner, the  cook  brought  a  quantity  of  "  Tumen  carpets  "  for 
sale.  He  used  all  his  eloquence  upon  me,  but  in  vain.  These 
carpets  were  made  by  hand  in  the  villages  around  Tumen, 
their  material  being  goat's  hair.  From  their  appearance  I 
judged  that  a  coarse  cloth  was  "  looped"  full  of  thread,  which 
was  afterward  cut  to  a  plush  surface.  Some  of  the  figures 
were  quite  pretty.  These  carpets  can  be  found  in  nearly 
every  peasant  house  in  Western  Siberia,  where  they  are  used 
as  bed  and  table  coverings,  floor  mats,  and  carriage  robes. 

From  Tumen  to  Nijne  Novgorod  the  post  is  in  the  hands 
of  a  company,  and  one  can  buy  a  ticket  for  any  distance  he 
chooses.  We  bought  to  Ekaterineburg,  306  versts,  paying 
nine  copecks  a  verst  for  each  vehicle.  At  the  stations  it  is 
only  necessary  to  show  the  ticket,  which  will  bring  horses 
without  delay.  The  company  has  a  splendid  monopoly,  pro- 
tected by  an  imperial  order  forbidding  competition.  The 
peasants  would  gladly  take  travelers  at  lower  rates  if  the 
practice  were  permitted.  The  only  thing  they  can  do  is  to 
charter  their  horses  to  the  company  at  about  one-third  the 


ARRIVAL    AT  EKATERINEBURG. 


56T 


ticket  prices.  Alexander  would  make  many  friends  among 
the  people  by  curtailing  the  monopoly. 

From  the  Tura  the  country  became  undulating  as  we  ap- 
proached the  Urals,  but  we  passed  no  rugged  hills.  A  great 
deal  of  the  road  lay  between  double  rows  of  birch  trees,  that 
serve  for  shade  in  summer  and  do  much  to  prevent  the  drift- 
ing of  snow  in  winter.  Forests  of  fir  appeared  on  the  slopes, 
and  were  especially  pleasing  after  the  half-desolation  of  the 
steppe. 

The  villages  had  a  larger  and  more  substantial  appearance, 
that  indicated  our  approach  to  Europe.  Long  trains  laden 
with  freight  from  Perm,  blocked  the  way  and  delayed  us.  A 
few  collisions  made  our  sleigh  tremble,  and  in  two  instances 
turned  it  on  its  beam  ends.  We  were  ahead  of  the  tea  trains 
that  left  Irkutsk  with  the  early  snows,  so  that  we  passed  few 
sledges  going  in  our  own  direction.  The  second  night  found 
us  so  near  Ekaterineburg  that  we  halted  a  couple  of  hours 
for  the  double  purpose  of  taking  tea  and  losing  time. 

At  the  last  station,  about  six  in  the  morning,  we  were 
greeted  with  Christmas  festivities.  While  we  waited  in  the 
traveler's  room,  two  boys  sung  or  chanted  several  minutes, 
and  then  begged  for  money.  We  gave  them  a  few  copecks, 
and  their  success  brought  two  others,  who  were  driven  away 
by  the  smotretal.  I  was  told  that  poor  children  have  a  priv- 
ilege of  begging  in  this  manner  on  Christmas  morning. 
There  are  many  beggars  in  the  towns  and  villages  of  the 
Urals,  and  in  summer  there  is  a  fair  supply  of  highwaymen. 
Several  beggars  surrounded  our  sleigh  as  we  prepared  to  de- 
part and  seemed  determined  to  make  the  most  of  the  occa- 
sion. 

The  undulations  of  the  road  increased,  and  the  fir  woods 
became  thicker  as  we  approached  Ekaterineburg,  nestled  on 
the  bank  of  the  Isset.  Just  outside  the  town  we  passed  a 
large  zavod,  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  candles.  An  im- 
mense quantity  of  tallow  from  the  Kirghese  steppes  under- 
goes conversion  into  stearine  at  this  establishment,  and  the 


568  ITS    COMMERCIAL  IMPORTANCE. 

production  supplies  candles  to  all  Siberia  and  part  of  Euro- 
pean Russia. 

As  we  entered  the  slobodka  and  descended  rapidly  toward 
the  river,  the  bells  were  clanging  loudly  and  the  population 
was  generally  on  its  way  to  church.  The  men  were  in  their 
best  shoobas  and  caps,  while  the  women  displayed  the  latest 
fashions  in  winter  cloaks.  Several  pretty  faces,  rosy  from 
the  biting  frost,  peered  at  the  strangers,  who  returned  as 
many  glances  as  possible.  Our  yemshick  took  us  to  the  Hotel 
de  Berlin,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  eighteen  hundred  versts, 
we  unloaded  our  baggage  from  the  sleighs.  Breakfast,  a  bath, 
and  a  change  of  clothes  prepared  me  for  the  sights  of  this 
Uralian  city. 

For  sight-seeing,  the  time  of  my  arrival  was  unfortunate. 
Every  kind  of  work  was  suspended,  every  shop  was  closed, 
and  nothing  could  be  done  until  the  end  of  the  Christmas 
holidays.  I  especially  desired  to  inspect  the  G-ranilnoi  Fabric, 
or  Imperial  establishment  for  stone  cutting,  and  the  machine 
shop  where  all  steam  engines  for  Siberia  are  manufactured. 
But,  as  everything  had  yielded  to  the  general  festivities,  I 
could  not  gratify  my  desire. 

Ekaterineburg  is  on  the  Asiatic  side  of  the  Urals,  though 
belonging  to  the  European  government  ol  Perm.  It  has  a 
beautiful  situation,  the  Isset  being  dammed  so  as  to  form  a 
small  lake  in  the  middle  of  the  city.  Many  of  the  best 
houses  overlook  this  lake,  and,  from  their  balconies,  one  can 
■enjoy  charming  views  of  the  city,  water,  and  the  dark  forests 
of  the  Urals.  The  principal  street  and  favorite  drive  passes 
at  the  end  of  the  lake,  and  is  pretty  well  thronged  in  fine 
weather.  There  are  many  wealthy  citizens  in  Ekaterineburg, 
as  the  character  of  the  houses  will  attest.  I  was  told  there 
was  quite  a  rage  among  them  for  statuary,  pictures,  and  other 
works  of  art.  Special  care  is  bestowed  upon  conservatories, 
some  of  which  contain  tropical  plants  imported  at  enormous 
expense.  The  population  is  about  twenty  thousand,  and  in- 
creases very  slowly. 

The  city  is  the  central  point  of  mining  enterprises  of  the 


A    PROMINENT    FAMILY.  569 

Ural  mountains,  and  the  residence  of  the  Nachalnik,  or  chief 
of  mines.  The  general  plan  of  management  is  much  like 
that  already  described  at  Barnaool.  The  government  mines 
include  those  of  iron,  copper,  and  gold,  the  latter  being  of 
least  importance.  Great  quantities  of  shot,  shell,  and  guns 
have  been  made  in  the  Urals,  as  well  as  iron  work  for  more 
peaceful  purposes.  Beside  the  government  works,  there  are 
numerous  foundries  and  manufactories  of  a  private  character. 
In  various  parts  of  the  Ural  chain  some  of  the  zavods  are  of 
immense  extent,  and  employ  large  numbers  of  workmen. 
At  Nijne  Tagilsk,  for  example,  there  is  a  population  of  twenty- 
five  thousand,  all  engaged  directly  or  indirectly  in  the  pro- 
duction of  iron. 

The  sheet  iron  so  popular  in  America  for  parlor  stoves  and 
stove  pipe,  comes  from  Ekaterineburg  and  its  vicinity,  and  is 
made  from  magnetic  ore.  The  bar  iron  of  the  Urals  is 
famous  the  world  over  for  its  excellent  qualities,  and  com- 
mands a  higher  price  than  any  other.  Great  quantities  of 
iron  are  floated  in  boats  down  the  streams  flowing  into  the 
Kama  and  Yolga.  Thence  it  goes  to  the  fair  at  Nijne  Nov- 
gorod, and  to  the  points  of  shipment  to  the  maritime  mar- 
kets. 

The  development  of  the  wealth  of  the  Urals  has  been 
largely  due  to  the  Demidoff  family.  Nikite  Demidoft  was 
sent  by  Peter  the  Great,  about  the  year  1701,  to  examine  the 
mines  on  both  sides  of  the  chain.  He  performed  his  work 
thoroughly,  and  was  so  well  satisfied  with  the  prospective 
wealth  of  the  region  that  he  established  himself  there  per- 
manently. In  return  for  his  services,  the  government  grant- 
ed a  large  tract  to  the  Demidoffs  in  perpetuity.  The  famous 
malachite  mines  are  on  the  Demidoff  estate,  but  are  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  mineral  wealth  in  the  original  grant.  I 
have  heard  the  Demidoff  family  called  the  richest  in  Russia 
— except  the  Romanoff.  Many  zavods  in  the  Urals  were 
planned  and  constructed  by  Nikite  and  his  descendants,  and 
most  of  them  are  still  in  successful  operation  and  have  un- 
dergone no  change. 


570 


GOLD    MINES    OF    THE  URALS. 


The  iron  works  of  the  Urals  are  very  extensive,  and  capa- 
ble of  supplying  any  reasonable  demand  of  individual  or  im- 
perial character.  At  Zlatoust  there  is  a  manufactory  of  fire- 
arms and  sword  blades  that  is  said  to  be  unsurpassed  in  the 
excellence  of  its  products.  The  sabres  from  Zlatoust  are  of 
superior  fineness  and  quality,  rivaling  the  famous  blades  of 
Damascus  and  Toledo. 

Close  by  the  little  lake  in  Ekaterineburg  is  the  Moneta 
Fabric,  or  Imperial  mint,  where  all  the  copper  money  of  Rus- 
sia is  coined.  It  is  an  extensive  concern,  and  most  of  its 
machinery  was  constructed  in  the  city.  The  copper  mines 
of  the  Urals  are  the  richest  in  Russia,  and  possess  inexhaus- 
tible wealth.  Malachite — an  oxide  of  copper — is  found  here 
in  large  quantities.  I  believe  the  only  mines  where  malachite 
is  worked  are  in  the  Urals,  though  small  specimens  of  this 
beautiful  mineral  have  been  found  near  Lake  Superior  and  in 
Australia. 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  an  enormous  mass  of  mala- 
chite, said  to  weigh  400  tons,  was  discovered  near  Tagilsk. 
It  has  since  been  broken  up  and  removed,  its  value  being 
more  than  a  million  roubles.  Sir  Roderick  Murchison,  while 
exploring  the  Urals  on  behalf  of  the  Russian  government, 
saw  this  treasure  while  the  excavations  around  it  were  in 
progress.  According  to  his  account  it  was  found  280  feet 
below  the  surface.  Strings  of  copper  were  followed  by  the 
miners  until  they  unexpectedly  reached  the  malachite.  Other 
masses  of  far  less  importance  have  since  been  found,  some 
of  them  containing  sixty  per  cent,  of  copper. 

The  gold  mines  of  the  Ural  are  less  extensive  now  than 
formerly,  new  discoveries  not  equaling  the  exhausted  placers. 
They  are  principally  on  the  Asiatic  slope,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kamenskoi.  The  Emperor  Alexander  First  visited  the  mines 
of  the  Ural  in  1824,  and  personally  wielded  the  shovel  and 
pickaxe  nearly  two  hours.  A  nugget  weighing  twenty-four 
pounds  and  some  ounces  was  afterward  found  about  two  feet 
below  the  point  where  His  Majesty  4  knocked  off'  work.  A 
monument  now  marks  the  spot,  and  contains  the  tools  han- 
dled by  the  Emperor. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 


I HAD  several  commissions  to  execute  for  the  purchase  of 
souvenirs  at  Ekaterineburg,  and  lost  no  time  in  visiting 
a  dealer.  "While  we  were  at  breakfast  an  itinerant  merchant 
called,  and  subsequently  another  accosted  us  on  the  street. 
At  ordinary  times,  strangers  are  beset  by  men  and  boys  who 
are  walking  cabinets  of  semi-precious  stones.  A  small  boy 
met  me  in  the  corridor  of  the  hotel  and  repeated  a  lapidari- 
ous  vocabulary  that  would  have  shamed  a  professor  of  mine- 
ralogy. 

At  the  dealer's,  I  was  very  soon  in  a  bewildering  collection 
of  amethyst,  beryl,  chalcedony,  topaz,  tourmaline,  jasper, 
aquamarine,  malachite,  and  other  articles  of  value.  The 
collection  numbered  many  hundred  pieces  comprising  seals, 
paper  weights,  beads,  charms  for  watch  chains,  vases,  stat- 
uettes, brooches,  buttons,  etc.  The  handles  of  seals  were  cut 
in  a  variety  of  ways,  some  representing  animals  or  birds, 
while  a  goodly  portion  were  plain  or  fluted  at  the  sides. 

The  prettiest  work  I  saw  was  in  paper  weights.  There 
were  imitations  of  leaves,  flowers,  and  grapes  in  properly 
tinted  stone  fixed  upon  marble  tablets  either  white  or  colored. 
Equal  skill  was  displayed  in  arranging  and  cutting  these 
stones.  I  saw  many  beautiful  mosaics  displaying  the  stones 
of  the  Ural  and  Altai  mountains. 

Natural  crystals  were  finely  arranged  in  the  shape  of  min- 
iature caves  and  grottoes.  Beads  were  of  malachite,  crystal, 
topaz,  and  variegated  marble,  and  seemed  quite  plentiful. 
Malachite  is  the  most  abundant  of  the  half-precious  stones  of 
the  Ural,  crvstal  and  topaz  ranking  next.  Aquamarine  was 
(571) 


• 


572       STONE   CUTTING    AT  EKATERINEBURG. 

the  most  valuable  stone  offered.  It  is  not  found  in  the  Urals 
but  comes  from  Eastern  Siberia. 

In  another  establishment  there  were  little  busts  of  the  Em- 
peror and  other  high  personages  in  Russia,  cut  in  crystal  and 
topaz.  I  saw  a  fine  bust  of  Yermak,  and  another  of  the 
elder  Demidoff,  both  in  topaz.  A  crystal  bust  of  Louis  Napo- 
leon was  exhibited,  and  its  owner  told  me  it  would  be  sent  to 
the  Exposition  Universelle.  Learning  that  I  was  an  Ameri- 
can, the  proprietor  showed  me  a  half  completed  bust  of  Mr. 
Lincoln,  and  was  gratified  to  learn  that  the  likeness  was 
good.  The  bust  was  cut  in  topaz,  and  when  finished  would 
be  about  six  inches  high. 

Though  no  work  was  in  progress  I  had  opportunity  to  look 
through  a  private  "  fabric."  Stone  cutting  is  performed  as 
by  lapidaries  every  where  with  small  wheels  covered  with 
diamond  dust  or  emery.  Each  laborer  has  his  bench  and  per- 
forms a  particular  part  of  the  work  under  the  direction  of  a 
superintendent.  Wages  were  very  low,  skilled  workmen  be- 
ing paid  less  than  ordinary  stevedores  in  America.  For  three 
roubles,  I  bought  a  twelve  sided  topaz,  an  inch  in  diameter 
with  the  signs  of  the  zodiac  neatly  engraved  upon  it.  In 
London  or  New  York,  the  cutting  would  have  cost  more  than 
ten  times  that  amount.  The  Granilnoi  Fabric  employs  about 
a  hundred  and  fifty  workmen,  but  no  private  establishment 
supports  more  than  twenty-five.  The  Granilnoi  Fabric  was 
to  be  sold  in  1867,  and  pass  out  of  government  control.  The 
laborers  there  were  formerly  crown  peasants,  and  became 
free  under  the  abolition  ukase  of  Alexander  II.  The  palace 
and  Imperial  museum  at  St.  Petersburg  contain  wonderful 
illustrations  of  their  skill. 

Diamonds  have  been  sought  in  the  Urals,  and  the  region 
is  said  to  resemble  the  diamond  districts  of  Brazil.  They  have 
been  found  in  but  a  single  instance,  and  there  is  a  suspicion 
that  the  few  discovered  on  that  occasion  were  a  "  plant." 

We  remained  two  days  at  Ekaterineburg,  repairing  sleighs 
and  resting  from  fatigue.  On  account  of  the  holidays,  we 
paid  double  prices  for  labor,  and  were  charged  double  by  dros- 


ON   THE  MOUNTAINS. 


573 


ky  drivers.  At  the  hotel,  the  landlord  wished  to  follow  the 
same  custom,  but  we  emphatically  objected.  A  theatrical 
performance  came  off  during  our  stay,  but  we  were  too  weary 
to  witness  it.  Near  the  hotel  there  was  a  "  live  beast  show  " 
almost  an  exact  counterpart  of  what  one  sees  in  America. 
Music,  voluble  doorkeepers,  gaping  crowd  of  youngsters,  and 
canvas  pictures  of  terrific  combats  between  beasts  and  snakes, 
all  were  there. 

According  to  our  custom  we  prepared  to  start  in  the  eve- 
ning for  another  westward  stride.  The  thermometer  was  low 
enough  to  give  the  snow  that  crisp,  metallic  sound  under  the 
runners  only  heard  in  cold  weather.  We  took  tickets  for 
Kazan,  and  ordered  horses  at  nine  o'clock.  As  we  left  the 
city,  we  passed  between  two  monument-like  posts,  marking 
the  gateway. 

Two  or  three  versts  away,  we  passed  the  zavod  of  Yerkne 
Issetskoi,  an  immense  concern  with  a  population  sufficient  to 
found  a  score  of  western  cities.  In  this  establishment  is 
made  a  great  deal  of  the  sheet-iron  that  comes  to  America. 
The  material  is  of  so  fine  a  quality  that  it  can  be  rolled  to 
the  thickness  of  letter  paper  without  breaking.  Every  thing 
at  the  zavod  is  on  a  grand  scale  even  to  the  house  of  the 
director,  and  his  facilities  for  entertaining  guests.  All  was 
silent  at  the  time  of  our  passage,  the  workmen  being  busy 
with  their  Christmas  festivities. 

Leaving  the  zavod  we  were  once  more  among  the  forests 
of  the  Urals,  and  riding  over  the  low  hills  that  form  this 
part  of  the  range.  The  road  was  good,  but  there  were  more 
oukhabas  than  suited  my  fancy. 

I  was  on  constant  lookout  for  the  steep  road  leading  over 
the  range,  but  failed  to  find  it.  Before  leaving  New  York  a 
friend  suggested  that  I  should  have  a  severe  journey  over  the 
Ural  mountains  which  were  deeply  shaded  on  the  map  we 
consulted.  I  can  assure  him  it  was  no  worse  than  a  sleigh 
ride  anywhere  else  on  a  clear,  frosty  night.  The  ascent  is 
so  gradual  that  one  does  not  perceive  it  at  all.  Ekaterineburg 
stands  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  sea ;  the  pass,  twenty- 


574     BOUNDARY   BETWEEN    EUROPE   AND  ASIA. 

four  miles  distant,  is  only  nine  hundred  feet  higher.  The 
range  is  depressed  at  this  point,  but  nowhere  attains  suffi- 
cient loftiness  to  justify  its  prominence  on  the  maps.  In 
Ekaterineburg  I  asked  for  the  mountains. 

"  There  they  are,"  said  the  person  of  whom  I  enquired,  and 
he  waved  his  hand  toward  a  wooded  ridge  in  the  west.  The 
designated  locality  appeared  less  difficult  of  passage  than  the 
hills  opposite  Cincinnati. 

"  Don't  fail  to  tell  the  yemshick  to  stop  at  the  boundary." 
This  was  my  injunction  several  times  repeated  as  we 
changed  horses  at  the  first  station.    Eight  or  ten  versts  on 
our  second  course,  the  sleigh  halted  and  the  yemshick  an- 
nounced the  highest  point  on  the  road. 

I  stepped  from  the  sleigh  and  waded  through  a  deep  snow- 
drift to  the  granite  obelisk  erected  by  the  first  Alexander  to 

mark  the  line  between 
the  two  continents.  It 
is  a  plain  shaft — Bun- 
ker Hill  monument  in 
miniature — bearing  the 
word  "Europe"  on 
one  side,  and  "  Asia  " 
on  the  other.  Two  fir 
trees  planted  by  His 
August  Majesty  are  on 
opposite  sides  of  the 
monument. 

A  snow-drift  in  the 
middle  of  a  frosty  night 

EUROPE  AND  ASIA.  .  ,  „ 

is  not  the  place  lor 
sentimental  musings.  I  rested  a  foot  in  each  of  two  con- 
tinents at  the  same  moment,  but  could  not  discover  any  dif- 
ference in  their  manners,  customs,  or  climate. 

Regaining  the  sleigh,  I  nestled  into  my  furs,  and  soon  fell 
asleep.  I  was  in  Europe.  I  had  accomplished  the  hope  and 
dream  of  my  boyhood.    But  in  my  most  romantic  moments, 


GREAT   FAIR   AT  IRBIT. 


575 


I  had  not  expected  to  stand  for  the  first  time  in  Europe  on 
the  ridge  of  the  Ural  Mountains. 

After  passing  the  boundary,  we  dashed  away  over  the  un- 
dulating road,  and  made  a  steady  though  imperceptible  de- 
scent into  the  valley  of  the  Kama.  As  I  commenced  my 
first  day  in  Europe,  the  sunbeams  wavered  and  glistened  on 
the  frost-crystals  that  covered  the  trees,  and  the  flood  of  light 
that  poured  full  into  my  opening  eyes  was  painfully  dazzling. 
Where  we  halted  for  breakfast,  the  station  was  neat  and  com- 
modious, and  its  rooms  well  furnished.  We  fared  sumptu- 
ously on  cutlets  and  eggs,  with  excellent  bread.  Just  as  we 
were  seated  in  the  sleigh,  a  beggar  made  a  touching  appeal, 
as  explained  by  the  doctor,  in  behalf  of  the  prophet  Elias. 


A  RUSSIAN  BEGGAR. 


The  prophet's  financial  agent  was  of  so  unprepossessing  ap- 
pearance that  we  declined  investing.    Beggars  often  ask  alms 


576 


A   CITY   OF  THIEVES. 


in  the  interest  of  particular  saints,  and  this  one  had  attached 
himself  to  Elias. 

We  met  many  sledges  laden  with  goods  en  route  to  the  fair 
which  takes  place  every  February  at  Irbit.  This  fair  is  of  great 
importance  to  Siberia,  and  attracts  merchants  from  all  the 
region  west  of  Tomsk.  From  forty  to  fifty  million  roubles 
worth  of  goods  are  exchanged  there  during  the  four  weeks  de- 
voted to  traffic.  The  commodities  from  Siberia  are  chiefly 
furs  and  tea,  those  from  Europe  comprise  a  great  many  arti- 
cles. Irbit  is  on  the  Asiatic  side  of  the  Ural  mountains, 
about  two  hundred  versts  northeast  of  Ekaterineburg.  It  is 
a  place  of  little  consequence  except  during  the  time  of  the 
fair. 

After  entering  Europe,  we  relied  upon  the  stations  for  our 
meals,  carrying  no  provisions  with  us  except  tea  and  sugar. 
We  knew  the  peasants  would  be  well  supplied  with  edibles 
during  Christmas  holidays,  and  were  quite  safe  in  depending 
upon  them.  A  traveler  in  Russia  must  consult  the  calendar 
before  starting  on  a  journey,  if  he  would  ascertain  what  pro- 
vision he  may,  or  may  not,  find  among  the  people. 

Congour  was  the  first  town  of  importance,  and  has  an  un- 
enviable reputation  for  its  numerous  thieves.  They  do  not 
molest  the  post  vehicles  unless  the  opportunity  is  very  favor- 
able, their  accomplishments  being  specially  exercised  upon 
merchandise  trains.  Sometimes  when  trains  pass  through 
Congour  the  natives  manage  to  steal  single  vehicles  and  their 
loads.  The  operation  is  facilitated  by  there  being  only  one 
driver  to  five  or  six  teams.  This  town  is  also  famous  for  its 
tanneries,  the  leather  from  Congour  having  a  high  reputation 
throughout  Russia.  Peter  the  Great  was  at  much  trouble  to 
teach  the  art  of  tanning  to  his  subjects.  At  present,  the 
Russians  have  very  little  to  learn  from  others  on  that  score. 
Peter  introduced  tanning  from  Holland  and  Germany,  and 
when  the  first  piece  of  leather  tanned  in  Russia  was  brought 
to  him  he  took  it  between  his  teeth  and  exerted  all  the 
strength  of  his  jaws  to  bite  through  it.  The  leather  resisted 
his  efforts,  and  so  delighted  the  monarch  that  he  decreed  a 


EVIDENCE   OF   EUROPEAN   CIVILIZATION.  577 

pension  to  the  successful  tanner.  The  specimen,  with  the 
marks  of  his  teeth  upon  it,  is  still  preserved  at  St.  Petersburg. 

While  waiting  for  dinner  at  Congour,  I  contemplated  some 
engravings  hanging  in  the  public  room  at  the  station.  Four 
of  them  represented  scenes  in  "  Elizabeth,  or  the  exiles  of 
Siberia,"  a  story  which  has  been  translated  into  most  modern 
languages.  These  engravings  were  made  in  Moscow  several 
years  ago,  and  illustrated  the  most  prominent  incidents  in  the 
narrative. 

There  were  many  things  to  remind  me  I  was  no  longer  in 
Siberia,  and  especially  on  the  Baraba  steppe.  Snows  were 
deeper,  and  the  sky  was  clearer.  The  level  country  was  re- 
placed by  a  broken  one.  Forests  of  pine  and  fir  displayed 
regular  clearings,  and  evinced  careful  attention.  Villages 
were  more  numerous,  larger  and  of  greater  antiquity.  Sta- 
tions were  better  kept  and  had  more  the  air  of  hotels. 
Churches  appeared  more  venerable  and  less  venerated.  Beg- 
gars increased  in  number,  and  importunity.  In  Asia  the 
yemshick  was  the  only  man  at  a  station  who  asked  "navodku," 
but  in  Europe  the  chelavek  or  starost  expected  to  be  remem- 
bered. In  Asia,  the  gratuity  was  called  "  Navodku  "  or  whis- 
ky money  ;  in  Europe,  it  was  "  nachi"  tea  money. 

During  the  second  night,  we  reached  Perm  and  halted  long 
enough  to  eat  a  supper  that  made  me  dream  of  tigers  and 
polar  bears  during  my  first  sleep.  In  entering,  we  drove 
along  a  lighted  street  with  substantial  houses  on  either  side, 
but  without  meeting  man  or  beast.  This  street  and  the  sta- 
tion were  all  I  saw  of  a  city  of  25,000  inhabitants.  In  sum- 
mer travelers  for  Siberia  usually  leave  the  steamboat  at  this 
point,  and  begin  their  land  journey,  the  Kama  being  navigable 
thus  far  in  ordinary  water.  Perm  is  an  important  mining 
center,  and  contains  several  foundries  and  manufactories  on 
an  extensive  scale.  The  doctor  assured  me  that  after  the 
places  I  had  visited  in  Siberia,  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen 
there — and  I  saw  it. 

A  deep  snow  had  been  trodden  into  an  uneven  road  in  this 
part  of  the  journey.  At  times  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  the 
37 


578 


PLEASURES   OF   SLEIGH  RIDING. 


sleigh  and  all  it  contained  would  go  to  pieces  in  the  terrific 
thumps  we  received.    We  descended  hills  as  if  pursued  by 
wolves  or  a  guilty  conscience,  and  it  was  generally  our  fate 
to  find  a  huge  oukhaba  just  when  the  horses  were  doing  their 
best.    I  think  the  sleigh  sometimes  made  a  clear  leap  of  six  [ 
or  eight  feet  from  the  crest  of  a  ridge  to  the  bottom  of  a  hol- 
low.   The  leaping  was  not  very  objectionable,  but  the  impact 
made  everything  rattle.    I  could  say,  like  the  Irishman  who  f 
fell  from  a  house  top,  "  'twas  not  the  fall,  darling,  that  hurt  ' 
me,  but  stopping  so  quick  at  the  end." 

When  the  roads  are  rough  the  continual  jolting  of  the  sleigh 
is  very  fatiguing  to  a  traveler,  and  frequently,  during  the  first 
two  or  three  days  of  his  journey,  throws  him  into  what  is  very 
properly  designated  the  road  fever.  His  pulse  is  quick,  his 
blood  warm,  his  head  aches,  his  whole  frame  becomes  sore 
and  stiff,  and  his  mind  is  far  from  being  serene  and  amiable. 
In  the  first  part  of  my  land  journey  I  had  the  satisfaction  of 
ascertaining  by  practical  experience  the  exact  character  of 
the  road-fever.  My  brain  seemed  ready  to  burst,  and  appeared 
to  my  excited  imagination  about  as  large  as  a  barrel ;  every 
fresh  jolt  and  thump  of  the  vehicle  gave  me  a  sensation  as  if 
somebody  were  driving  a  tenpenny  nail  into  my  skull ;  as  for 
good-nature  under  such  circumstances  that  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  I  am  free  to  confess  that  my  temper  was  not 
unlike  that  of  a  bear  with  a  sore  head. 

Where  the  roads  are  good,  or  if  the  speed  is  not  great,  one 
can  sleep  very  well  in  a  Russian  sleigh ;  I  succeeded  in  ex- 
tracting a  great  deal  of  slumber  from  my  vehicle,  and  some- 
times did  not  wake  for  three  or  four  hours.  Sometimes  the 
roads  are  in  such  wretched  condition  that  one  is  tossed  to  the 
height  of  discomfort,  and  can  be  very  well  likened  to  a  lump 
of  butter  in  a  revolving  churn.  In  such  cases  sleep  is  almost 
if  not  wholly,  impossible,  and  the  traveler,  proceeding  at  cour- 
ier speed,  must  take  advantage  of  the  few  moments'  halt  at 
the  stations  while  the  horses  are  being  changed.  As  he  has 
but  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  for  the  change  he  makes  good  use 
of  his  time  and  sleeps  very  soundly  until  his  team  is  ready. 


A   RUSSIAN    COURIER  OVERCOME. 


579 


During  the  Crimean  war,  while  the  Emperor  Nicholas  was 
temporarily  sojourning  at  Moscow,  a  courier  arrived  one  day 
with  important  dispatches  from  Sebastopol.  He  was  commis- 
sioned to  deliver  them  to  no  one  but  His  Majesty,  and  waited 
in  the  ante-room  of  the  palace  while  his  name  and  business 
were  announced.  Overcome  by  fatigue  he  fell  asleep  ;  when 
the  chamberlains  came  to  take  him  to  the  Imperial  presence 
j  they  were  quite  unable  to  rouse  him.  The  attendants  shook 
him  and  shouted,  but  to  no  purpose  beyond  making  so  much 
disturbance  as  to  bring  the  Emperor  to  the  ante-room.  Nich- 
olas ordered  them  to  desist,  and  then,  standing  near  the  officer, 
said,  in  an  ordinary  voice,  "  Vashe  prevoschoditelstvo,  loshadi 
gotovey  "  (Your  horses  are  ready,  your  Excellency).  The 
officer  sprang  to  his  feet  in  an  instant,  greatly  to  the  delight 
of  the  Emperor  and  to  his  own  confusion  when  he  discovered 
where  he  was. 

The  Russians  have  several  popular  songs  that  celebrate  the 
glories  of  sleigh-riding.  I  give  a  translation  of  a  portion  of 
one  of  them,  a  song  that  is  frequently  repeated  by  the  peas- 
ants in  the  vicinity  of  Moscow  and  Nijne  Novgorod.  It  is 
proper  to  explain  that  a  troika  is  a  team  of  three  horses 
abreast,  the  donga  is  the  yoke  above  the  shaft-horse's  neck, 
and  Valdai  is  the  town  on  the  Moscow  and  St.  Petersburg 
road  where  the  best  and  most  famous  bells  of  Russia  are 
made. 

A  RUSSIAN  SLEIGHING  SONG. 
Away,  away,  along  the  road 

The  fiery  troika  bounds, 
While  'neath  the  douga,  sadly  sweet, 

The  Valdai  bell  resounds. 

Away,  away,  we  leave  the  town, 

Its  roofs  and  spires  behind, 
The  crystal  snow-flakes  dance  around 

As  o'er  the  steppe  we  wind. 

Away,  away,  the  glittering  stars 

Shine  greeting  from  above, 
Our  hearts  beat  fast  as  on  we  glide, 

Swift  as  the  flying  dove. 


CHAPTER  L. 


E  found  the  road  much  better  after  leaving  the  gov- 
ernment of  Perm  and  entering  that  of  Viatka.  The 
yemshicks  we  took  in  this  region  were  "  Votiaks,"  descend- 
ants of  the  Finnish  races  that  dwelt  there  before  the  Rus- 
sian conquest.  They  had  the  dark  physiognomy  of  the  Finns, 
and  spoke  a  mixture  of  their  own  language  and  Russian. 
They  have  been  generally  baptized  and  brought  into  the 
Greek  churches,  though  they  still  adhere  to  some  of  their 
ancient  forms  of  worship.  They  pay  taxes  to  the  crown,  but 
their  local  administration  is  left  to  themselves. 

Approaching  Malmouish  we  had  a  sullen  driver  who  in- 
sisted upon  going  slowly,  even  while  descending  hills.  In- 
dignantly I  suggested  giving  the  fellow  a  kick  for  his  drink 
money.  The  doctor  attempted  to  be  stern  and  reproved  the 
delinquent,  but  ended  with  giving  him  five  copecks  and  an 
injunction  to  do  better  in  future.  I  opposed  making  unde- 
served gratuities,  and  after  this  occurrence  determined  to  say 
no  more  about  rewards  to  drivers  during  the  rest  of  the 
journey. 

Memorandum  for  travelers  making  the  Siberian  tour : 
An  irritable  disposition,  (like  mine,)  should  not  be  placed 
with  an  amiable  one,  (like  the  doctor's.)    If  misery  loves 
company,  so  does  anger ;  and  a  petulant  man  should  have  an 
associate  who  can  be  ruffled. 

After  leaving  the  Votiaks,  we  entered  the  country  of  the 
Tartars,  the  descendants  of  the  followers  of  Genghis  Khan, 
who  carried  the  Mongol  standard  into  Central  Europe.  Rus- 
sia remained  long  under  their  yoke,  and  the  Tartars  of  the 

(580) 


DRESS    AND    HABITS    OF    THE    TARTARS.  581 

present  day  live  as  a  distinct  people  in  various  parts  of  the 
empire.  They  are  nearly  all  Mohammedans,  and  the  con- 
version of  one  of  them  to  Christianity  is  a  very  rare  occur- 
rence. My  attention  was  called  to  their  mosques  in  the  vil- 
lages we  passed,  the  construction  being  quite  unlike  that  of 
the  Russian  churches.  A  tall  spire  or  minaret,  somewhat 
like  the  steeple  of  an  American  church,  rises  in  the  center 
of  a  Tartar  mosque  and  generally  overlooks  the  whole  village. 
No  bells  are  used,  the  people  being  called  to  prayer  by  the 
voice  of  a  crier. 

These  Tartars  have  none  of  the  warlike  spirit  of  their  an- 
cestors, and  are  among  the  most  peaceful  subjects  of  the 
Russian  emperor.  They  are  industrious  and  enterprising, 
and  manage  to  live  comfortably.  Their  reputation  for  shrewd- 
ness doubtless  gave  rise  to  the  story  of  the  difficulty  of  catch- 
ing a  Tartar. 

At  the  stations  we  generally  found  Russian  smotretals  with 
Tartar  attendants.  Blacksmiths,  looking  for  jobs,  carefully 
examined  our  sleighs.  One  found  my  shafts  badly  chafed 
where  they  touched  the  runners,  and  offered  to  iron  the  weak 
points  for  sixty  copecks.  I  objected  to  the  delay  for  prepar- 
ing the  irons.  "  Gotovey,  Gotovey ;  piet  minute"  said  the 
man,  producing  the  ready  prepared  irons  from  one  pocket 
and  a  hammer  and  nails  from  another.  By  the  time  the 
horses  were  led  out  the  job  was  completed.  I  should  have 
been  better  satisfied  if  one  iron  had  not  come  off  within  two 
hours,  and  left  the  shaft  as  bare  as  ever. 

The  Tartars  speak  Russian  very  fairly,  but  use  the  Mongol 
language  among  themselves.  They  dress  like  the  Russians, 
or  very  nearly  so,  the  most  distinguishing  feature  being  a 
sort  of  skull  cap  like  that  worn  by  the  Chinese.  Their  hair 
is  cut  like  a  prize  fighter's,  excepting  a  little  tuft  on  the 
crown.  Out  of  doors  they  wore  the  Russian  cap  over  their 
Mohammedan  one — unconsciously  symbolizing  their  subjec- 
tion to  Muscovite  rule. 

These  Tartars  drove  horses  of  the  same  race  as  those  in 
the  Baraba  steppe.    They  carried  us  finely  where  the  road 


582  NEW   YEAR'S    DAY   AT  KAZAN. 

permitted,  and  I  had  equal  admiration  for  the  powers  of  the 
horses  and  the  skill  of  their  drivers. 

In  the  night,  after  passing  Malmouish,  the  weather  became 
warm.  I  laid  aside  my  dehar  only  a  half  hour  before  the 
thermometer  fell,  and  set  me  shivering.  About  daybreak  it 
was  warmer,  and  the  increasing  temperature  ushered  in  a 
violent  storm.  It  snowed  and  it  blowed,  and  it  was  cold, 
frosty  weather  all  day  and  all  night.  We  closed  the  sleigh 
and  attempted  to  exclude  the  snow,  but  our  efforts  were  vain. 
The  little  crevices  admitted  enough  to  cover  us  in  a  short 
time,  and  we  very  soon  concluded  to  let  the  wind  have  its 
own  way.  The  road  was  filled,  and  in  many  places  we  had 
hard  work  to  get  through.  How  the  yemshicks  found  the 
way  was  a  mystery.  Once  at  a  station,  when  the  smotretal 
announced  "  gotovey,"  I  was  actually  unable  to  find  the 
sleigh,  though  it  stood  not  twenty  feet  from  the  door.  The 
yemshicks  said  they  were  guided  by  the  telegraph  posts, 
which  followed  the  line  of  road. 

We  were  four  hours  making  twenty-five  versts  to  the  last 
station  before  reaching  Kazan.  We  took  a  hearty  supper  of 
soup,  eggs,  and  bread,  under  a  suspicion  that  we  might  re- 
main out  all  night.  Once  the  mammoth  sleigh  came  up  with 
us  in  the  dark,  and  its  shafts  nearly  ran  us  through.  Col- 
lisions of  this  kind  happened  occasionally  on  the  road,  but 
were  rarely  as  forcible  as  this  one.  We  were  twice  on  our 
beam  ends  and  nearly  overturned,  and  on  several  occasions 
stuck  in  the  snow.  By  good  luck  we  managed  to  arrive  at 
Kazan  about  2  A.  M.  On  reaching  the  hotel,  we  were  con- 
fronted by  what  I  thought  a  snow  statue,  but  which  proved 
to  be  the  dvornik,  or  watchman.  Our  baggage  was  taken  up 
stairs,  while  we  shook  the  snow  from  our  furs.  The  samovar 
shortened  our  visages  and  filled  our  stomachs  with  tea.  We 
retired  to  rest  upon  sofas  and  did  not  rise  until  a  late  hour. 

It  happened  to  be  New  Year's,  and  the  fashionable  society 
of  Kazan  was  doing  its  congratulations.  I  drove  through 
the  principal  part  of  the  city  and  found  an  animated  scene. 
Numberless  and  numbered  droskies  were  darting  through  the 


GRAND   DUKE   MICHEL   AND   HIS   SOLDIERS.  583 

streets,  carrying  gayly  dressed  officers  making  their  ceremon- 
ious calls.  Soldiers  were  parading  with  bands  of  music,  and 
the  lower  classes  were  out  in  large  numbers.  The  storm  had 
ceased,  the  weather  was  warm,  and  everything  was  propitious 
for  out-door  exercise. 

The  soldiers  were  the  first  I  had  seen  since  entering  Europe, 
and  impressed  me  favorably  with  the  Russian  army.  They 
wore  grey  uniforms,  like  those  I  saw  in  Siberia,  and  marched 
with  a  regular  and  steady  stride.  It  was  not  till  I  had 
reached  St.  Petersburg  that  I  saw  the  elite  of  the  Emperor's 
military  forces.  The  reforms  of  Alexander  have  not  left  the 
army  untouched.  Great  improvements  have  been  made  in 
the  last  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  More  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  private  soldiers  than  heretofore,  their  pay  being 
increased  and  time  of  service  lessened.  The  Imperial  family 
preserves  its  military  character,  and  the  present  Emperor 
allows  no  laxity  of  discipline  in  his  efforts  to  elevate  the  men 
in  the  ranks. 

It  is  said  of  the  grand  duke  Michel,  uncle  of  Alexander 
II.,  that  he  was  a  most  rigid  disciplinarian.  His  great  de- 
light was  in  parades,  and  he  never  overlooked  the  least  irregu- 
larity. Not  a  button,  not  a  moustache  even,  escaped  his  no- 
tice, and  whoever  was  not  en  regie  was  certain  to  be  punished. 
He  is  reported  to  have  said, — 

"  I  detest  war.  It  breaks  the  ranks,  deranges  the  soldiers, 
and  soils  their  uniforms."* 

*  The  land  forces  of  Russia  are  formed  of  two  descriptions  of  troops — the 
regular  troops  properly  so  called,  and  the  feudal  militia  of  the  Cossacks  and 
similar  tribes. 

The  regular  army  is  recruited  from  the  classes  of  peasants  and  artisans  partly 
and  principally  by  means  of  a  conscription,  partly  by  the  adoption  of  the  sons 
of  soldiers,  and  partly  by  voluntary  enlistment.  Every  individual  belonging  to 
these  classes  is,  with  a  few  exceptions,  liable  to  compulsory  service,  provided  he 
be  of  the  proper  age  and  stature.  The  nominal  strength  of  the  Russian  army, 
according  to  the  returns  of  the  ministry  of  War,  is  as  follows : 


1.  Regular  Army.                                              Peace-footing.  War-footing 

Infantry  364,422  694,511 

Cavalry                                                    38,306  49,183 

Artillery                                                41,831  48,773 

Engineers                                             13,413  16,203 


Total  457,875  808,670 


584         MIL-ITARY    AND    NAVAL  STATISTICS. 

I  had  a  letter  to  Colonel  Molostoff,  the  brother  of  a  Siber- 
ian friend  and  compagnon  du  voyage.    I  knew  the  colonel 

2.  Army  of  First  Reserve.  Peace-footing.  "War-footing. 

Troops  of  the  line  80,455  74,561 

Garrison  in  regiments  80,455  23,470 

Garrison  in  battalions  19,830  29,862 

Total  100,285  127,925 

3.  Army  of  Second  Reserve. 

Troops  of  all  arms  254,036  199,380 

General  total  812,096  1,135,975 

Among  the  irregular  troops  of  Russia,  the  most  important  are  the  Cossacks. 
The  country  of  the  Don  Cossacks  contains  from  600,000  to  700,000  inhabitants. 
In  case  of  necessity,  every  Cossack,  from  15  to  60  years,  is  bound  to  render  mili- 
tary service.  The  usual  regular  military  force,  however,  consists  of  54  cavalry 
regiments,  each  numbering  1,044  men,  making  a  total  of  56,376.  The  Cossacks 
are  reckoned  in  round  numbers  as  follows : 

In  Military- 
Heads,  service. 

On  the  Black  Sea  ,  1 25,000       1 8,000 

Great  Russian  Cossacks  on  the  Caucasian  Line...  1 50,000  18,000 

Don  Cossacks  440,000  66,000 

Ural  Cossacks   50,000  8,000 

Orenburg  Cossacks   60,000  10,000 

Siberian  Cossacks   50,000  9,000 

Total  875,000  129,000 

The  Russian  navy  consists  of  two  great  divisions — the  fleet  of  the  Baltic  and 
that  of  the  Black  Sea.  Each  of  these  two  fleets  is  again  subdivided  into  sec- 
tions, of  which  three  are  in  or  near  the  Baltie  and  three  in  or  near  the  Black 
Sea,  to  which  must  be  added  the  small  squadrons  of  galleys,  gunboats,  and  sim- 
ilar vessels. 

According  to  an  official  report,  the  Russian  fleet  consisted  last  year  of  -290 
steamers,  having  38,000  horse  power,  with  2,205  guns,  besides  29  sailing  vessels, 
with  65  guns.  The  greater  and  more  formidable  part  of  this  navy  was  stationed 
in  the  Baltic.  The  Black  Sea  fleet  numbered  43  ;  the  Caspian,  39 ;  the  Siberian 
or  Pacific,  30 ;  and  the  Lake  Aral  or  Turkistan  squadron,  1 1  vessels.  The  rest 
of  the  ships  were  either  stationed  at  Kronstadt  and  Sweaborg  or  engaged  in 
cruising  in  European  waters. 

The  iron-clad  fleet  of  war  consisted,  at  the  commencement  of  1868,  of  24  ves- 
sels, with  an  aggregate  of  149  guns,  as  follows  : 

2  Frigates,  one  of  18,  and  one  of  24  guns  42  guns. 

3  Floating  Batteries  of  14,  16,  and  27  guns  57  guns. 

2  Corvettes  of  8  guns  16  guns. 

6  Monitors  of  2  guns  each,  12  guns. 

11  Turret  ships  of  2  guns  each  22  guns. 

Total,  24  iron-clads  with  149  guns. 

The  Imperial  navy  was  manned  at  the  beginning  of  1 868  by  60,230  sailors 
and  marines,  under  the  command  of  3,791  officers,  among  whom  aro  119  ad- 
mirals and  generals. 


A   BRILLIANT  ASSEMBLAGE. 


585 


would  not  be  at  home  on  the  first  day  of  the  year,  as  he  had 
many  relatives  and  friends  to  visit.  So  I  sent  the  letter  to 
his  house,  and  accompanied  Schmidt  on  a  call  upon  Dr. 
Freeze,  a  prominent  physician  of  Kazan.  Madam  Freeze 
was  a  native  of  Heidelburg,  and  evidently  loved  the  Rhine 
\  better  than  the  Yolga.  She  gave  me  a  letter  to  her  brother 
in  Moscow,  where  she  promised  me  an  introduction  to  a  niece 
of  the  poet  Goethe. 

In  the  evening  Colonel  Molostoff  called  at  the  hotel  and 
took  me  to  the  New  Year's  ball  of  the  nobility  of  Kazan. 
There  was  a  maze  of  apartments  belonging  to  the  nobility 
club, — the  dancing  room  being  quite  as  elegant  and  as  spa- 
cious as  the  large  hall  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel.  I  found 
files  of  English,  French,  and  German  papers  in  the  reading- 
room,  and  spent  a  little  while  over  the  latest  news  from  Ame- 
rica. The  male  portion  of  the  assemblage  consisted  of  offi- 
cers and  civilians,  the  former  in  the  majority.  There  was  a 
perfect  blaze  of  stars  and  gay  uniforms,  that  quite  outshone 
the  evening  dress  of  the  civilians.  As  Kazan  is  old,  popu- 
lous, and  wealthy,  it  is  needless  to  add  that  the  ladies  were 
dressed  just  like  those  of  St.  Petersburg  or  Paris. 

I  was  introduced  to  several  officials,  among  them  the  gov- 
ernor, who  had  recently  assumed  command.  Colonel  Molos- 
toff introduced  me  to  three  ladies  who  spoke  English,  but 
hardly  had  I  opened  conversation  with  the  first  before  she 
was  whisked  away  into  the  dance.  The  second  and  the  third 
followed  the  same  fate,  and  I  began  to  look  upon  ball-room 
acquaintance  as  an  uncertainty. 

"  Now,"  said  the  colonel,  "  I  will  introduce  you  to  one  who 
is  not  young,  but  she  is  charming,  and  does  not  dance."  We 
went  to  seek  her,  but  she  was  in  the  midst  of  a  gay  party 
just  preparing  for  a  visit  to  the  lunch  room. 

I  was  so  utterly  wearied  after  my  long  ride  that  conversa- 
tion was  a  great  effort,  and  I  could  hardly  keep  my  eyes  from 
closing.  I  had  promised  to  join  a  supper  party  at  three 
o'clock,  but  midnight  found  me  just  able  to  stand.  Fearful 
that  I  might  bring  discredit  upon  America  by  going  to  sleep 


586      CONQUEST   OF   KAZAN   BY   THE  RUSSIANS. 


during  the  festivities,  I  begged  an  excuse  and  returned  to  my 
hotel.  Five  minutes  after  entering  my  room  I  was  in  the 
land  of  dreams. 

In  the  treasury  of  the  Kremlin  of  Moscow  the  royal  crown 
of  Kazan  is  preserved.  The  descendants  of  Genghis  Khan 
founded  the  city  and  made  it  the  seat  of  their  European 
power.  For  three  centuries  it  remained  a  menace  to  Russia, 
and  held  the  princes  of  Muscovy  in  fear  and  dread.  But  as 
the  Russians  grew  in  strength  Kazan  became  weaker,  and 
ultimately  fell  under  the  Muscovite  control.  Ivan  the  Terri- 
ble determined  to  drive  the  Tartars  from  the  banks  of  the 
Volga.  After  three  severe  and  disastrous  campaigns,  and  a 
siege  in  which  assailant  and  assailed  displayed  prodigies  of 
valor,  Kazan  was  stormed  and  captured.  The  kingdom  was 
overthrown,  and  the  Russian  power  extended  to  the  Urals. 
The  cruelties  of  Ivan  the  Terrible  were  partially  forgiven  in 
return  for  his  breaking  the  Tartar  yoke. 

A  pyramidal  monument  marks  the  burial  place  of  the  Rus- 
sians who  fell  at  the  capture  of  the  city,  and  the  positions  of 
the  besiegers  are  still  pointed  out ;  but  I  believe  no  traces 
of  the  circumvallation  are  visible.  The  walls  of  the  Tartar 
fortress  form  a  part  of  the  present  Kremlin,  but  have  been  so 
rebuilt  and  enlarged  that  their  distinctive  character  is  gone. 

Nicholas  called  Kazan  the  third  capital  of  his  empire,  and 
the  city  is  generally  admitted  first  in  importance  after  St. 
Petersburg  and  Moscow.  Its  position  is  well  chosen  on  the 
banks  of  a  small  river,  the  Kazanka,  which  joins  the  Yolga 
six  versts  away.  On  a  high  bluff  stretching  into  a  plateau 
in  the  rear  of  the  city  and  frowning  defiantly  toward  the  west, 
its  position  is  a  commanding  one.  On  the  edge  of  this  bluff 
is  the  Kremlin,  with  its  thick  and  high  walls  enclosing  the 
governor's  palace  and  other  public  buildings,  all  overlooked 
by  a  lofty  bell-tower.  Every  part  of  the  city  gives  evidence 
of  wealth. 

The  population  is  about  sixty  thousand,  including,  I  pre- 
sume, the  military  garrison.  There  are  twelve  or  fifteen 
thousand  Tartars,  who  live  in  a  quarter  of  the  city  specially 


MANUFACTURES   AND   SCHOOLS   OF   KAZAN.  587 

assigned  them.  They  are  said  to  be  industrious  and  peace- 
ful, and  some  of  them  have  amassed  great  wealth.  I  saw  a 
Tartar  merchant  at  the  ball  on  New  Year's  eve,  and  was  told 
that  his  fortune  was  one  of  the  best  in  Kazan.  I  can  testify 
personally  to  the  energy  of  Tartar  peddlers.  On  my  first 
morning  at  the  hotel  I  was  visited  by  itinerant  dealers  in 
hats,  boots,  dressing  gowns,  and  other  articles  of  wear.  The 
Tartars  at  Moscow  are  no  less  active  than  their  brethren  of 
Kazan,  and  very  shrewd  in  their  dealings.  Every  one  of 
them  appears  to  believe  that  strangers  visit  Russia  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  buying  dressing  gowns. 

I  took  a  drive  through  the  Tartar  quarter,  or  Katai  Gorod, 
of  Kazan,  and  inspected  (but  did  not  read)  the  signs  over 
the  shops.  The  houses  are  little  different  from  those  in  the 
Russian  quarter,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the  streets 
was  the  same.  I  glanced  at  several  female  faces  in  defiance 
of  Mohammedan  law,  which  forbids  women  unveiling  before 
strangers.  On  one  occasion  when  no  Tartar  men  were  visi- 
ble, a  young  and  pretty  woman  removed  her  veil  and  evident- 
ly desired  to  be  looked  at.  I  satisfied  my  curiosity,  and  ex- 
pressed admiration  in  all  the  complimentary  Russian  adjec- 
tives I  could  remember. 

As  we  passed  a  butcher's  shop,  my  isvoshchik  intimated 
that  horse  meat  was  sold  there.  The  Tartars  are  fond  of 
equine  flesh,  and  prefer  it  to  beef.  On  the  Kirghese  steppes 
the  horse  is  prominent  in  gastronomic  festivities. 

Kazan  is  famous  throughout  Russia  for  the  extent  and 
variety  of  its  manufactures.  Russians  and  Tartars  are  alike 
engaged  in  them,  and  the  products  of  their  industry  bear  a 
good  reputation.  The  city  has  printing  establishments  on  an 
extensive  scale,  one  of  them  devoted  to  Tartar  literature. 
Several  editions  of  the  Koran  have  been  printed  here  for  the 
faithful  in  Northern  and  Central  Asia. 

The  University  of  Kazan  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  in- 
stitutions of  learning  in  Russia,  and  has  an  excellent  board 
of  professors.  Special  attention. is  devoted  to  the  Asiatic 
languages  and  literature,  but  no  other  branch  of  knowledge 


588 


POLICE    SECRETS    IN  RUSSIA. 


is  neglected.  I  met  the  Professor  of  Persian  literature,  and 
found  him  speaking  English  and  French  fluently.  I  was  in- 
vited to  look  through  the  museum  and  cabinet  attached  to 
the  university,  but  time  did  not  permit.  There  is  a  ladies' 
seminary  in  equally  good  reputation  for  its  educational  facil- 
ities. 

One  morning,  about  two  weeks  before  my  arrival  at  Kazan, 
the  early  risers  passing  this  seminary  discovered  the  body  of 
a  young  man  hanging  upon  the  fence.  It  was  clad  only  in  a 
shirt,  and  no  other  clothing  could  be  found.  No  one  recog- 
nized the  features  of  the  individual,  and  the  occupants  of  the 
seminary  professed  utter  ignorance  of  the  affair.  As  might 
be  expected,  great  excitement  followed  the  discovery.  Visits 
of  the  sterner  sex  were  absolutely  forbidden,  and  the  young 
maidens  in  the  building  were  placed  under  surveillance.  The 
gentleman  who  told  me  the  story,  said : 

"  It  is  very  strange,  especially  as  the  public  can  learn  noth- 
ing about  the  young  man's  identity." 

While  conversing  with  a  high  official  at  Nijne  Novgorod,  a 
few  days  later,  I  referred  to  this  affair  and  expressed  my  sur- 
prise that  the  police  could  not  trace  it  out. 

"  That  is  to  say,"  he  replied,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders, 
"  that  the  police  have  suppressed  the  particulars.  It  is  a 
scandalous  occurrence  that  may  as  well  be  kept  from  the 
public." 

One  thing  was  quite  certain :  if  the  police  thought  proper 
to  conceal  the  details  of  this  affair,  there  was  no  likelihood 
of  their  publication.  In  Russia  the  police  exercise  a  power 
much  greater  than  in  the  United  States.  Those  who  have 
visited  France  and  Austria  can  form  a  pretty  correct  idea  of 
the  Russian  system,  the  three  countries  being  nearly  alike  in 
this  respect.  The  police  has  supervision  over  the  people  in 
a  variety  of  ways ;  controls  the  fire  department,  looks  after 
the  general  health,  and  provides  for  the  well-being  of  society. 
Every  man,  woman,  and  child  is  considered  under  its  surveil- 
lance, and  accounted  for  by  some  member  of  the  force. 
Passports  are  examined  by  the  police,  and  if  en  regie,  the 


DETECTIVE  POLICE. 


589 


owners  are  not  likely  to  be  troubled.  Taxes  are  collected, 
quarrels  adjusted,  and  debts  paid  through  its  agency. 

Almost  everybody  has  heard  of  the  secret  police  of  Russia, 
and  many  questions  have  been  asked  me  about  it.  I  cannot 
throw  much  light  upon  it,  and  if  I  could  it  would  not  be  a 
secret  police.  I  never  knowingly  came  in  contact  with  the 
shadow,  neither  did  I  have  the  slightest  reason  to  fear  it.  If 
my  letters  were  opened  and  read,  those  familiar  with  my 
manuscript  will  agree  that  the  police  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 
If  anybody  dogged  my  steps  or  drew  me  into  conversation  to 
report  my  opinions  at  the  bureau  secret,  I  never  knew  it.  The 
servants  who  brought  my  cutlets  and  tea,  the  woman  who 
washed  my  linen,  or  the  dvornik  who  guarded  the  door,  may 
have  been  spies  upon  me  ;  but,  if  so,  I  didn't  see  it.  Where 
ignorance  is  bliss,  'tis  folly  to  be  wise. 

People  talk  politics  in  Russia  with  apparent  freedom,  more 
so  than  I  expected  to  find.  Men  and  women  expressed  their 
opinions  with  candor  (as  I  believe,)  and  criticised  what  they 
saw  wrong  in  their  government.  The  Russian  journal?  pos- 
sess more  freedom  than  those  of  Paris,  and  the  theatres  can 
play  pretty  nearly  what  they  like.  Official  tyranny  or  dis- 
honesty can  be  shown  up  by  the  press  or  satirized  on  the 
stage  more  freely  and  safely  than  in  the  country  of  Napoleon 
Third,  with  all  its  boasted  freedom. 

I  once  read  a  story  in  which  an  Englishman  in  Austria  is 
represented  saying  to  his  companion,  "  No  gentleman  med- 
dles with  the  politics  of  the  countries  he  visits."  I  made  it 
my  rule  in  Russia  never  to  start  the  subject  of  politics  in 
conversation  with  anybody.  Yery  often  it  was  started,  and 
I  then  spoke  as  freely  as  I  would  have  spoken  in  New  York. 
If  my  opinion  was  asked  upon  any  point,  I  gave  it  frankly, 
but  never  volunteered  it.  I  believe  the  Golden  Rule  a  good 
one  for  a  traveler.  We  Americans  would  think  it  very  rude 
for  a  foreigner  to  come  here  and  point  out  to  us  our  faults. 
But  for  all  that,  a  great  many  of  us  visit  Europe  and  have  no 
hesitation  in  telling  the  subjects  of  the  various  monarchies  a 
variety  of  impolite  truths. 


590  THE   EMPEROR   AND   THE  ACTOR. 

During  the  reign  of  Nicholas,  the  secret  police  was  much 
more  extensive  than  at  present.  The  occurrences  of  1825 
and  subsequent  years  led  to  a  close  surveillance  of  men  in 
all  stations  of  life.  It  was  said  under  Nicholas  that  when 
three  men  were  assembled,  one  was  a  spy  and  another  might 
be.  Doubtless  the  espionage  was  rigid,  but  I  never  heard 
that  it  affected  those  who  said  or  did  nothing  objectionable. 
Under  Alexander  II.  the  stability  of  the  throne  hardly  re- 
quires the  aid  of  a  detective  force,  and,  if  what  I  was  told  be 
true,  it  receives  very  little. 

The  police  have  a  standing  order  to  arrest  any  person  who 
speaks  to  the  Emperor  in  the  promenade  at  the  Public  Gar- 
den. One  day  Nicholas  recognized  in  the  crowd  a  favorite 
comedian,  and  accosted  him  with  a  few  words  of  encourage- 
ment. The  actor  thanked  his  majesty  for  his  approval,  and 
the  two  separated.  A  stupid  policeman  arrested  the  actor, 
and  hurried  him  to  prison  on  the  charge  of  violating  the  law. 

"  But  the  emperor  spoke  to  me  first,"  was  the  apology. 

"  No  matter,"  replied  the  policeman ;  "  you  spoke  to  the 
emperor,  and  must  be  arrested." 

At  the  theatre  that  evening  Nicholas  was  in  the  imperial 
box,  utterly  ignorant  of  what  had  occurred  to  his  favorite. 
The  performance  was  delayed,  the  audience  impatient,  man- 
ager frantic,  and  the  emperor  finally  sent  to  know  the  cause 
of  the  curtain  remaining  down.  The  actor  did  not  come,  and 
after  waiting  some  time,  His  Majesty  went  home.  Next 
morning  the  prisoner  was  released,  and  during  the  day  the 
emperor  learned  what  had  occurred.  Sending  for  the  victim 
of  police  stupidity,  he  asked  what  reparation  could  be  made 
for  his  night  in  prison. 

"  I  beg  your  majesty,"  was  the  frank  request,  "  never  to 
speak  to  me  again  in  the  Public  Garden." 

Nicholas  promised  compliance.  He  also  made  a  pecuniary 
testimonial  at  the  comedian's  next  benefit. 


CHAPTER  LI. 


DR.  SCHMIDT  sold  his  sleigh  and  left  Kazan  by  dili- 
gence the  day  after  our  arrival.  I  remained  four  days, 
and,  when  ready  to  start,  managed  to  pick  up  a  young  Rus- 
sian who  was  going  to  Nijne  Novgorod.  Each  of  us  spoke 
two  languages,  but  we  had  no  common  tongue.  I  brushed 
up  all  the  Russian  I  had  learned,  and  compelled  it  to  perform 
very  active  service.  Before  our  companionship  ended  I  was 
astonished  to  find  what  an  extensive  business  of  conversation 
could  be  conducted  with  a  limited  capital  of  words. 

Our  communications  were  fragmentary  and  sometimes  ob- 
scure, but  we  rarely  became  "  hopelessly  stuck."  When  my 
knowledge  of  spoken  words  failed  I  had  recourse  to  a  "  Man- 
ual of  Russian-English  conversation,''  in  which  there  were 
phrases  on  all  sorts  of  topics.  Examining  the  book  at  leisure 
one  would  think  it  abundantly  fertile  ;  but  when  I  desired  a 
particular  phrase  it  was  rarely  to  be  found.  As  a  last  re- 
source we  tried  Latin,  but  I  could  not  remember  a  hundred 
words  out  of  all  my  classics. 

A  regular  thaw  had  set  in,  and  the  streets  were  in  a  con- 
dition of  i  slosh '  that  reminded  me  of  Broadway  in  spring. 
When  we  left  the  hotel,  a  crowd  of  attendants  gathered  to  be 
remembered  pecuniarily.  The  yemshick  tied  his  horses'  tails 
in  the  tightest  of  knots  to  prevent  their  filling  with  snow  and 
water.  At  the  western  gate  we  found  a  jam  of  sleds  and 
sleighs,  where  we  stuck  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  despite  the 
efforts  of  two  soldier  policemen.  When  able  to  proceed  we 
traversed  a  high  causeway  spanning  the  Kazanka  valley  and 
emerged  into  a  suburb  containing  a  large  foundry.    A  mosque 

(591) 


592  NAVIGATION    OP    THE  VOLGA. 

and  a  church,  side  by  side,  symbolized  the  harmony  between 
Tartar  and  Russian. 

Passing  this  suburb  we  reached  the  winter  station  of  many 
steamboats  and  barges,  among  which  we  threaded  our  way. 
Seven  versts  from  Kazan  we  reached  the  bank  of  the  Yolga. 

The  first  view  of  the  road  upon  the  river  was  not  inviting. 
There  were  many  pools  of  surface  water,  and  the  continuous 
travel  had  worn  deep  hollows  in  the  snow  and  ice.  Some  of 
the  pools  into  which  our  yemshick  drove  appeared  about  as 
safe  as  a  mill-pond  in  May.  As  the  fellow  ought  to  know  his 
route  I  said  nothing,  and  let  him  have  his  own  way.  "We 
met  a  great  many  sleds  carrying  merchandise,  and  passed  a 
train  going  in  our  direction.  One  driver  carelessly  riding  on 
his  load  was  rolled  overboard,  and  fell  sidewise  into  a  deep 
mass  of  snow  and  water.  He  uttered  an  imprecation,  and 
rose  dripping  like  a  boiled  cabbage  just  lifted  out  of  a  din- 
ner pot. 

We  headed  obliquely  across  the  river  toward  a  dozen  tow- 
boats  frozen  in  the  ice.  The  navigation  of  the  Yolga  em- 
ploys more  than  four  hundred  steamers,  three-fourths  of  which 
are  tows.  Dead  walls  in  Kazan  frequently  displayed  naming 
announcements,  that  reminded  me  of  St.  Louis  and  New  Or- 
leans. The  companies  run  a  sharp  rivalry  in  freight  and 
passenger  traffic,  their  season  lasting  from  April  to  October. 
The  gross  receipts  for  1866  of  one  company  owning  thirty- 
four  boats,  was  one  million,  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  thou- 
sand, and  some  odd  roubles.  This,  after  deducting  running 
expenses,  would  not  leave  a  large  amount  of  profit.  The 
surplus  in  the  case  of  that  company  was  to  be  applied  to  pay- 
ing debts.  "  Not  a  copeck,"  said  my  informant,  "  will  the 
stockholders  receive  in  the  shape  of  dividends. " 

I  did  not  obtain  any  full  and  clear  information  touching 
the  navigation  of  the  Yolga.  The  steamboats  run  from  Tver, 
on  the  Moscow  and  St.  Petersburg  railway,  to  Astrachan,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  best  part  of  the  business  is  the 
transport  of  goods  and  passengers, — chiefly  the  former, — to 
the  fair  at  Nijne  Novgorod.    The  river  is  full  of  shifting 


A    ROUTE    BADLY  MIXED. 


593 


sand-bars,  and  the  channel  is  very  tortuous,  especially  at  low 
water.  The  first  company  to  introduce  steam  on  the  Volga 
was  an  English  one.  Its  success  induced  many  Russians  to 
follow  its  example,  so  that  the  business  is  now  over  done. 

Here,  as  in  the  Siberian  rivers,  the  custom  prevails  of  car- 
rying freight  in  barges,  which  are  towed  by  tugs.  All  the 
steamers  I  saw  were  side-wheelers. 

We  changed  horses  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Volga,  only 
twelve  versts  from  Kazan.  The  right  bank  of  the  river  pre- 
sents an  unbroken  line  of  hills  or  bluffs,  while  the  opposite 
one  is  generally  low.  The  summer  road  from  Kazan  west- 
ward follows  the  high  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river,  but 
often  several  versts  away.  The  winter  road  is  over  the  ice 
of  the  Volga,  keeping  generally  pretty  near  the  bank.  A 
double  line  of  pine  or  other  boughs  in  the  ice  marks  the 
route.  These  boughs  are  placed  by  the  Administration  of 
Roads,  under  whose  supervision  the  way  is  daily  examined. 
No  one  is  allowed  to  travel  on  the  ice  until  the  officials  de- 
clare it  safe. 

Night  came  upon  us  soon  after  passing  the  first  station. 
The  road  was  a  combination  of  pitch-holes,  water,  soft  snow, 
and  detours  to  avoid  dangerous  places.  The  most  unpleasant 
drives  were  when  we  left  the  river  to  change  horses  at  the 
villages  on  the  high  bank.  It  was  well  enough  going  up,  but 
in  descending  the  sleigh  sometimes  endeavored  to  go  ahead 
of  the  horses.  Once  we  came  near  going  over  a  perpendic- 
ular bank  sixty  or  eighty  feet  high.  Had  we  done  so,  our 
establishment  would  have  not  been  worth  fifty  cents  a  bushel 
at  the  bottom  of  the  bank. 

Back  from  the  Volga  on  this  part  of  the  route  there  were 
many  villages  of  Cheramess,  a  people  of  Tartar  descent  who 
preserve  many  of  their  ancient  customs.  They  are  thorough- 
ly loyal  to  Russia,  and  keep  the  portrait  of  the  emperor  in 
nearly  every  cottage.  In  accordance  with  their  custom  of 
veiling  women  they  hang  a  piece  of  gauze  over  the  picture  of 
the  empress. 


594  BEGGARS    AND  MERCHANDISE. 


While  changing  horses,  we  were  beset  by  many  beggars, 
whose  forlorn  appearance  entitled  them  to  sympathy.  I  pur- 
chased a  number  of  blessings,  as  each  beggar  made  the  sign 
of  the  cross  over  me  on  receiving  a  copeck.  Russian  beg- 
gars are  the  most  devout  I  ever  saw,  and  display  great  famil- 
iarity with  the  calendar  of  saints.  One  morning  at  Kazan  I 
stood  at  my  hotel  window  watching  a  beggar  woman  solicit- 


BEGGARS   IN  KAZAN. 


ing  alms.  Several  poorly  dressed  peasants  gave  her  each  a 
copeck  or  two,  and  both  giver  and  receiver  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross.  One  decrepid  old  man  gave  her  a  loaf  of  bread, 
blessing  it  devoutly  as  he  placed  it  in  her  hands.  So  far  as 
I  saw  not  a  single  well  dressed  person  paid  any  attention  to 
the  mendicant.    *  Only  the  poor  can  feel  for  the  poor.' 


BAPTIZING    THROUGH    THE  ICE. 


595 


We  encountered  a  great  deal  of  merchandise,  carried  in- 
variably upon  one-horse  sleds.  Cotton  and  wool  in  large 
sacks  were  the  principal  freight  going  westward,  while  that 
moving  toward  Kazan  was  of  a  miscellaneous  character. 
The  yemshicks  were  the  worst  I  found  on  the  whole  extent 
of  my  sleigh  ride.  They  generally  contented  themselves 
with  the  regulation  speed,  and  it  was  not  often  that  the 
promise  of  drink -money  affected  them.  I  concluded  that 
money  was  more  easily  obtained  here  than  elsewhere  on  the 
route.  Ten  copecks  were  an  important  item  to  a  yemshick 
in  Siberia,  but  of  little  consequence  along  the  Yolga. 

Villages  were  numerous  along  the  Volga,  and  most  of  them 
were  very  liberally  supplied  with  churches.    We  passed  Ma- 
karief, 
which 
was  for 
many 
ye  ars 
t  h  e 
scene 
of  the 
great 
fair  of 
Euro- 
pean 
Russia. 
Fire  = 
a  n  d  inijEjjSij 
flood 


THE  IMMERSION. 


and  in  1816  the  fair  was  transferred  to  Nijne  Novgorod. 
One  of  the  villages  has  a  church  spire  that  leans  considera- 
bly toward  the  edge  of  the  river. 

About  fifty  versts  from  Nijne  Novgorod  the  population  of  a 


596 


RELIGION    IN  RUSSIA. 


large  village  was  gathered,  in  Sunday  dress,  upon  the  ice. 
A  baptism  was  in  progress,  and  as  we  drove  past  the  assem- 
blage we  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  man  plunging  through  a 
freshly  cut  hole.  Half  a  minute  later  he  emerged  from  the 
crowd  and  ran  toward  the  nearest  house,  the  water  dripping 
from  his  garments  and  hair.  As  we  passed  around  the  end 
of  the  village,  I  looked  back  and  saw  another  person  running 
in  the  same  direction. 

Converts  to  the  Russian  church  are  baptized  by  immersion, 
and,  once  received  in  its  bosom,  they  continue  members  until 
death  do  them  part.  What  I  have  said  of  the  church  in  Si- 
beria will  apply  throughout  all  Russia.  The  government  is 
far  more  tolerant  in  the  matter  of  religion  than  that  of  any 
Roman  Catholic  country  in  Europe,  and  might  reprove  Great 
Britain  pretty  sharply  for  its  religious  tyrannies  in  unhappy 
Ireland.  Every  one  in  Russia  can  worship  God  according  to 
the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  provided  he  does  not 
shock  the  moral  sense  of  civilization  in  so  doing.  Every  re- 
spectable form  of  Christian  worship  enjoys  full  liberty,  and 
so  does  every  respectable  form  of  paganism  and  anti-Chris- 
tianity. The  Greek  faith  is  the  acknowledged  religion  of  the 
government,  and  the  priests,  by  virtue  of  their  partly  official 
character,  naturally  wield  considerable  power.  The  abuse  or 
undue  employment  of  that  power  is  not  (theoretically)  per- 
mitted, however  much  the  church  may  manifest  its  zeal. 
Every  effort  is  made  to  convert  unbelievers,  but  no  man  is 
forced  to  accept  the  Greek  faith. 

Traveling  through  Russia  one  may  see  many  forms  of  wor- 
ship. He  will  find  the  altars  of  Shamanism,  the  temples  of 
Blmdha,the  mosques  of  Islam,  and  the  synagogues  of  Israel. 
On  one  single  avenue  of  the  Russian  capital  he  will  pass  in 
succession  the  churches  of  the  Greek,  the  Catholic,  the  Ar- 
menian, the  Lutheran,  and  the  Episcopal  faith.  He  will  be 
told  tfiat  among  the  native  Russians  there  are  nearly  fifty 
sects  of  greater  or  less  importance.  There  are  some  advan- 
tages in  belonging  to  the  church  of  state,  just  as  in  England, 
but  they  are  not  essential.    I  am  acquainted  with  officers  in 


THE    OLD    BELIEVERS.  597 


the  military,  naval,  and  civil  service  of  the  government  who 
are  not,  and  never  have  been,  members  of  the  Greek  church. 
I  never  heard  any  intimation  that  their  religion  had  been  the 
least  bar  to  their  progress. 

The  Pope,  in  his  encyclical  of  October,  1867,  complains  of 
the  conduct  of  the  Russian  government  toward  the  Catholics 
in  Poland.  No  doubt  Alexander  has  played  the  mischief 
with  the  Pope's  faithful  in  that  quarter,  but  not  on  account 
of  their  religion.  In  Warsaw  a  Russian  officer,  a  Pole  by 
birth,  told  me  of  the  misfortunes  that  had  fallen  upon  the 
Catholic  monastery  and  college  in  that  city.  "  "We  found  in 
the  insurrection,"  said  the  officer,  "  that  the  monks  were  en- 
gaged in  making  knives,  daggers,  cartridges,  and  other  weap- 
ons. The  priests  were  the  active  men  of  the  rebellion,  and 
did  more  than  any  other  class  to  urge  it  forward,  and  here  is 
a  specimen  of  iron-mongery  from  the  hands  of  the  monks. 
We  found  two  hundred  of  these  in  the  college  recently  sup- 
pressed.   Many  more  were  distributed  and  used." 

As  he  spoke  he  opened  a  drawer  and  showed  me  a  short 
dagger  fitting  into  a  small  handle.  The  point  of  the  blade 
had  been  dipped  in  poison,  and  was  carefully  wrapped  in  pa- 
per. The  instrument  was  used  by  sticking  it  into  somebody 
in  a  crowd,  and  allowing  it  to  remain.  Death  was  pretty 
certain  from  a  very  slight  scratch  of  this  weapon. 

If  this  gentleman's  story  is  correct,  and  it  was  corroborat- 
ed by  others,  the  Russian  persecution  of  the  Polish  Catholics 
is  not  entirely  without  reason. 

Among  the  dissenters  in  the  Greek  church  there  is  a  body 
called  Staroviersty  (Old  Believers).  The  difference  between 
them  and  the  adherents  of  the  orthodox  faith  is  more  ritual- 
istic than  doctrinal.  Both  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  though 
each  has  its  own  way  of  holding  the  fingers  in  the  operation. 
The  Staroviersty  do  not  use  tobacco  in  any  form,  and  their 
mode  of  life  is  generally  quite  rigid.  Under  Catherine  and 
Paul  they  were  persecuted,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  in- 
creased their  numbers  rapidly.  For  the  past  sixty  years  op- 
pression has  been  removed,  and  they  have  done  pretty  nearly 


508 


DIMINISHING    THE    POWER    OF  PRIESTS. 


as  they  liked.  They  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  empire, 
but  are  most  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Ural  mountains. 

Russia  has  its  share  of  fanatical  sects,  some  of  whom  push 
their  religion  to  a  wonderful  extreme.  One  sect  has  a  way. 
of  sacrificing  children  by  a  sort  of  slow  torture  in  no  way 
commendable.  Another  sect  makes  a  burnt  offering  of  some 
of  its  adherents,  who  are  selected  by  lot.  They  enter  a  house 
prepared  for  the  occasion,  and  begin  a  service  of  singing  and 
prayer.  After  a  time  spent  in  devotions,  the  building  is  set 
on  fire  and  consumed  with  its  occupants.  Another  sect  which 
is  mentioned  elsewhere  practices  the  mutilation  of  masculine 

believers,  and  steals  children  for 
adoption  into  their  families. 
Against  all  these  fanatics  the 
government  exercises  its  despot- 
ic power. 

The  peasants  are  generally 
very  devout,  and  keep  all  the 
days  of  the  church  with  becom- 
ing reverence.  There  is  a  story 
that  a  moujik  waylaid  and  killed 
a  traveler,  and  while  rifling  the 
pockets  of  his  victim  found  a 
cake  containing  meat.  Though 
very  hungry  he  would  not  eat 
the  cake,  because  meat  was  for- 
bidden in  the  fast  then  in  force. 

The  government  is  endeavor- 
ing to  diminish  the  power  and 
influence  of  the  priests,  and  the 
Russian  priest.  number  of  saints'  days,  when 

men  must  abstain  from  labor. 
Heretofore  the  priests  have  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  recruit- 
ing the  clergy  from  their  own  members.  When  a  village 
priest  died  his  office  fell  to  his  son,  and  if  he  had  no  male 
heir  the  revenues  went  to  his  eldest  daughter  until  some 
priest  married  her  and  took  charge  of  the  parish.    By  spec- 


END    OF    A    LONG    SLEIGH    RIDE.  599 

ial  order  of  the  emperor  any  vacancy  is  hereafter  to  be  filled 
by  the  most  deserving  candidate. 

It  is  said  that  during  the  Crimean  war  the  governor  of 
Moscow  notified  the  pastor  of  the  English  church  in  that  city 
that  the  prayer  for  the  success  of  Her  Brittanic  Majesty's 
armies  must  be  omitted.  The  pastor  appealed  to  the  emperor, 
who  replied  that  prayers  of  regular  form  might  continue  to 
be  read,  no  matter  what  they  contained.  The  governor  made 
no  further  interference. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day 
from  Kazan,  the  yemshick  pointed  out  the  spires  of  Nijne 
Novgorod,  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Volga.  A  fleet  of 
steamers,  barges,  and  soudnas  lay  sealed  in  the  ice  along  the 
shore,  waiting  for  the  moving  of  the  waters.  The  road  to 
the  north  bank  was  marked  with  pine  boughs,  that  fringed 
the  moving  line  of  sleighs  and  sledges.  We  threaded  our 
way  among  the  stationary  vessels,  and  at  length  came  before 
the  town.  A  friend  had  commended  me  to  the  Hotel  de  la 
Poste,  and  I  ordered  the  yemshick  to  drive  there.  With  an 
eye  to  his  pocket  the  fellow  carried  me  to  an  establishment 
of  the  same  name  on  the  other  side  of  the  Oka.  I  had  a  sus- 
picion that  I  was  being  swindled,  but  as  they  blandly  informed 
me  that  no  other  hotel  with  that  title  existed,  I  alighted  and 
ordered  my  baggage  up. 

This  was  the  end  of  my  sleigh  ride.  I  had  passed  two 
hundred  and  nine  stations,  with  as  many  changes  of  horses 
and  drivers.  Nearly  seven  hundred  horses  had  been  attached 
to  my  sleigh,  and  had  drawn  me  over  a  road  of  greatly  varied 
character.  Out  of  forty  days  from  Irkutsk,  I  spent  sixteen 
at  the  cities  and  towns  on  the  way.  I  slept  twenty-six  nights 
in  my  sleigh  with  the  thermometer  varying  from  thirty-five 
degrees  above  zero  to  forty-five  below,  and  encountered  four 
severe  storms  and  a  variety  of  smaller  ones.  Including  the 
detour  to  Barnaool,  my  sleigh  ride  was  about  thirty-six  hund- 
red miles  long.  From  Stratensk  by  way  of  Kiachta  to  Ir- 
kutsk, I  traveled  not  far  from  fourteen  hundred  miles  with 
wheeled  vehicles,  and  made  ninety-three  changes.    My  whole 


600  VIEW    OF    NIJNE  NOVGOROD. 

ride  from  steam  navigation  on  the  Amoor  to  the  railway  at 
Nijnc  Novgorod  was  very  nearly  five  thousand  miles. 

There  was  a  manifest  desire  to  swindle  me  at  the  bogus 
Hotel  de  la  Poste.  Half  a  dozen  attendants  carried  my  bag- 
gage to  my  room,  and  each  demanded  a  reward.  When  I 
gave  the  yemshick  his  "  na  vodka,"  an  officious  attendant 
suggested  that  the  gentleman  should  be  very  liberal  at  the 
end  of  his  ride.  I  asked  for  a  bath,  and  they  ordered  a  sleigh 
to  take  me  to  a  bathing  establishment  several  squares  away. 
My  proposition  to  be  content  for  the  present  with  a  wash  basin 
was  pronounced  impossible,  until  I  finished  the  argument 
with  my  left  boot.  The  waiter  finally  became  affectionate, 
and  when  I  ordered  supper  he  suggested  comforts  not  on  the 
bill  of  fare.  The  landlord  proposed  to  purchase  my  sleigh 
and  superfluous  furs,  and  we  concluded  a  bargain  at  less  than 
a  twelfth  of  their  cost. 

After  a  night's  rest  I  recrossed  the  Oka  and  drove  to  the 
town.  Here  I  found  the  veritable  Hotel  de  la  Poste,  to  which 
I  immediately  changed  my  quarters.  The  house  overlooked 
a  little  park  enclosing  a  pond,  where  a  hundred  or  more  per- 
sons were  skating.  The  park  was  well  shaded,  and  must  be 
quite  pleasant  in  summer.  The  town  hardly  deserves  the 
name  of  Nijne  (Lower)  Novgorod,  as  it  stands  on  a  bluff 
nearly  two  hundred  feet  above  the  river.  Its  lower  town 
contains  little  else  than  small  shops,  storehouses,  poor  hotels, 
and  steamboat  offices.  The  Kremlin,  or  fortress,  looks  down 
from  a  very  picturesque  position,  and  its  strong  walls  have  a 
defiant  air.  From  the  edge  of  the  bluff  the  view  is  wide ; 
the  low  field  and  forest  land  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
the  sinuous  Yolga  and  its  tributary,  the  Oka,  are  all  visible 
for  a  long  distance.  Opposite,  on  a  tongue  of  land  between 
(he  Volga  and  the  Oka,  is  the  scene  of  the  fair  of  Nijne  Nov- 
gorod, the  greatest,  I  believe,  in  the  world. 

There  are  many  fine  houses  in  the  upper  town,  with  indi- 
cations of  considerable  wealth.  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  the  Chief  of  Police,  Colonel  Kretegin,  who  kindly  showed 
me  the  principal  objects  of  interest  in  and  around  the  Krem- 


THE    PAIR  GROUNDS. 


601 


lin.  The  monument  to  the  memory  of  Minin  Sukhoruky 
possessed  the  greatest  historical  importance.  This  man,  a 
peasant  and  butcher,  believed  himself  called  to  deliver  Rus- 
sia from  the  Poles  in  1612.  He  awakened  his  countrymen, 
and  joined  a  Russian  noble  in  leading  them  to  expel  the  in- 
vaders. A  bronze  monument  at  Moscow  represents  Minin 
starting  on  his  mission.  The  memorial  at  Nijne  is  of  a  less 
elaborate  character. 

We  drove  through  the  fair  grounds,  which  were  as  empty 
of  occupants  as  Goldsmith's  deserted  village.  It  is  laid  out 
like  a  regular  town  or  city,  and  most  of  its  houses  are  sub- 
stantially built.  So  much  has  been  written  about  this  com- 
mercial center  that  I  will  not  attempt  its  description,  espec- 
ially as  I  was  not  there  in  fair  season.  The  population  of 
the  town — ordinarily  forty  thousand — becomes  three  hundred 
thousand  during  the  fair.  More  than  half  a  million  persons 
have  visited  the  city  in  a  single  summer,  and  the  value  of 
goods  sold  or  exchanged  during  each  fair  is  about  two  hund- 
red millions  of  roubles. 

Colonel  Kretegin  told  me  that  the  members  of  the  Fox 
embassy  were  much  astonished  at  finding  American  goods  for 
sale  at  Nijne  Novgorod.  It  would  be  difficult  to  mention  any 
part  of  the  civilized  world  where  some  article  of  our  manu- 
facture has  not  penetrated. 


CHAPTER  LII. 


AT  the  close  of  the  second  day  at  Nijne  Novgorod  I 
started  for  Moscow.  As  we  drove  from  the  hotel  to 
the  railway  the  jackdaws,  perched  everywhere  on  the  roofs, 
were  unusually  noisy.  Leaving  Asia  and  entering  Europe, 
the  magpie  seemed  to  give  place  to  the  jackdaw.  The  latter 
bird  inhabits  the  towns  and  cities  east  of  the  Ural  mountains, 
and  we  frequently  saw  large  flocks  searching  the  debris  along 
the  Volga  road.  He  associates  freely  with  the  pigeon,  and 
appears  well  protected  by  public  sentiment.  Possibly  his  un- 
eatable character  and  his  fancied  resemblance  to  the  pigeon 
saves  him  from  being  knocked  in  the  head.  Pigeons  are  very 
abundant  in  all  Russian  cities,  and  their  tameness  is  a  matter 
of  remark  among  foreign  visitors. 

The  railway  station  is  across  the  Oka  and  near  the  site  of 
the  annual  fair.  We  went  at  a  smashing  pace  down  hill  and 
over  the  ice  to  the  other  side,  narrowly  missing  several  col- 
lisions. At  the  railway  I  fell  to  the  charge  of  two  porters, 
who  carried  my  baggage  while  I  sought  the  ticket  office.  A 
young  woman  speaking  French  officiated  at  the  desk,  and 
furnished  me  with  a  billet  de  voyage  to  Moscow. 

In  the  waiting  room  a  hundred  or  more  persons  were 
gathered.  The  men  were  well  wrapped  in  furs,  and  among 
the  ladies  hoods  were  more  numerous  than  bonnets.  Three- 
fourths  of  the  males  and  a  third  of  the  females  were  smoking 
cigarettes,  and  there  was  no  prohibition  visible.  In  accord- 
ance with  the  national  taste  the  chief  article  sold  at  the  buf- 
fet was  hot  tea  in  tumblers. 

Some  one  uttered  "Sibeerski"  as,  clad  in  my  dehar,  I 

(602)  * 


A   LUXURIOUS  RIDE. 


603 


walked  past  a  little  group.  To  keep  up  appearances  and  kill 
time  I  drank  tea,  until  the  door  opened  and  a  rush  was  made 
for  the  train.  There  is  an  adage  in  Germany  that  three 
kinds  of  people — fools,  princes,  and  Americans — travel  first 
class.  To  continue  Russian  pretences,  and  by  the  advice  of 
a  friend,  I  took  a  second  class  ticket,  and  found  the  accom- 
modation better  than  the  average  of  first  class  cars  in  Ame- 
rica. 

How  strange  was  the  sensation  of  railway  travel !  Since 
I  last  experienced  it,  I  had  journeyed  more  than  half  around 
the  globe.  I  had  been  tossed  on  the  Pacific  and  adjacent 
waters,  had  ascended  the  great  river  of  northern  Asia,  had 
found  the  rough  way  of  life  along  the  frozen  roads  beyond 
the  Baikal,  and  ended  with  that  long,  long  ride  over  Siberian 
snows.  I  looked  back  through  a  long  vista  of  earth  and 
snow,  storm  and  sunshine,  starlight  and  darkness,  rolling  sea 
and  placid  river,  rugged  mountains  and  extended  plains. 

The  hardships  of  travel  were  ended  as  I  reached  the  land 
of  railways,  and  our  motion  as  we  sped  along  the  track 
seemed  more  luxurious  than  ever  before.  Contrasted  with 
the  cramped  and  narrow  sleigh,  pitching  over  ridges  and  oc- 
casionally overturning,  the  carriage  where  I  sat  appeared  the 
perfection  of  locomotive  skill.  How  sweet  is  pleasure  after 
pain.  Sunshine  is  brightest  in  the  morning,  and  prosperity 
has  a  keener  zest  when  it  follows  adversity.  To  be  truly  en- 
joyed, our  lives  must  be  chequered  with  light  and  shadow, 
and  varied  with  different  scenes. 

The  railway  between  Nijne  Novgorod  and  Moscow  is  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  was  built  by 
French  and  Russian  capital  combined.  There  is  only  one 
passenger  train  each  way  daily,  at  a  speed  not  exceeding 
twenty  miles  an  hour. 

In  the  compartment  where  I  sat  there  was  a  young  French 
woman,  governess  in  a  family  at  Simbirsk,  with  a  Russian 
female  servant  accompanying  her.  The  governess  was  chatty, 
and  invited  me  to  join  her  in  a  feast  of  bon-bons,  which  she 
devoured  at  a  prodigious  rate.    The  servant  was  becomingly 


604         MOSCOW   SEEN    THROUGH    THE  FROST. 

silent,  and  solaced  herself  with  cigarettes.  The  restaurants 
along  the  road  are  quite  well  supplied,  especially  those  where 
full  meals  are  provided.  Two  hours  after  starting  we  halted 
ten  minutes  for  tea  and  cigarettes.  Two  hours  later  we  had 
thirty  minutes  for  supper,  which  was  all  ready  at  our  arrival. 
About  midnight  we  stopped  at  the  ancient  city  of  Vladimir, 
where  there  is  a  cathedral  founded  in  the  twelfth  century. 
Stepping  from  the  train  to  get  a  night  glimpse  of  the  place, 
I  found  a  substantial  supper  (or  breakfast)  spread  for  con- 
sumption. In  justice  to  the  Russians,  I  am  happy  to  say 
very  few  patronized  this  midnight  table". 

At  daybreak  I  rubbed  the  frost  from  a  window  and  looked 
upon  a  stretch  of  snow  and  frost,  with  peasant  cottages  few 
and  far  between.  An  hour  later,  our  speed  slackened.  Again 
cleaning  the  glass  and  peering  through  it,  a  large  city  came 
in  sight. 

It  was  Moscow, — "  Holy  Moscow," — the  city  of  the  Czars, 
and  beloved  of  every  Russian.  Suffering  through  Tartar, 
Polish,  and  French  occupations,  it  has  survived  pillage,  mas- 
sacre, lire,  and  famine,  and  remains  at  this  day  the  most 
thoroughly  national  of  the  great  cities  of  the  empire.  The 
towers  and  domes  of  its  many  churches  glittered  in  the 
morning  sunlight  as  they  glittered  half  a  century  ago,  when 
Napoleon  and  his  soldiers  first  climbed  the  hills  that  overlook 
the  city. 

It  was  a  long  drive  from  the  station  to  the  hotel.  The, 
morning  was  clear  and  cold,  and  the  snow  in  the  streets  had 
been  ground  into  a  sand-like  mass  several  inches  deep.  The 
solid  foundation  beneath  was  worn  with  hollows  and  ridges, 
that  vividly  recalled  the  oukhabas  of  the  post  road.  Streets 
were  full  of  sleds  and  sleighs,  the  latter  dashing  at  a  rapid 
rate.  In  the  region  near  the  station  there  were  so  many 
signs  of  4  TrakteerJ  as  to  suggest  the  possibility  of  one  half 
the  inhabitants  selling  tea,  beer,  and  quass  to  the  other  half. 
Near  the  center  of  the  city  the  best  shops  displayed  signs  in 
French  or  English,  generally  the  former. 

Of  course  I  went  early  to  the  Kremlin.    Who  has  ever 


THE    GREAT    BELL    OP    MOSCOW.  605 


read  or  talked  of  Moscow  without  its  historic  fortress  ?  En- 
tering by  the  Sacred  Gate,  I  lifted  my  hat  in  comformity  to 
the  custom,  from  which  not  even  the  emperor  is  exempt. 
One  of  my  school-books  contained  a  description  of  the  Czar 
Kolokol,  or  Great  Bell,  and  stated  that  a  horse  and  chaise 
could  pass  through  the  hole  where  a  piece  was  broken  from 
one  side.  Possibly  the  miniature  vehicle  of  Tom  Thumb 
could  be  driven  through,  but,  certainly,  no  ordinary  one-horse 
shay  could  have  any 
prospect  of  success. 
The  hole  is  six  feet  in 
height,  by  about  a 
yard  wide  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  narrows  like 
a  wedge  toward  the 
top.  The  height  and 
diameter  of  the  bell 
are  respectively  nine- 
teen feet  four  inches 
by  twenty  feet  three 
inches.  It  weighs 
444,000  pounds.  It 
was  cast  in  1733,  by 
order  of  the  Empress 
Anne,  and  the  hole  in 
its  side  was  made  by 
the  falling  of  some 
rafters  during  a  fire 
in  1737.  It  remained 
buried  in  the  ground 
until  1836,  when  it 

was  raised  and  placed  on  its  present  pedestal  by  order  of  the 
Emperor  Nicholas. 

To  enumerate  all  the  wonders  of  the  Kremlin  would  con- 
sume much  time  and  space.  Somebody  tells  of  a  Yankee 
gazing  at  Niagara,  and  lamenting  that  a  magnificent  water 
power  should  run  to  waste.    I  could  not  help  wondering  how 


GREAT   BELL  OF  MOSCOW. 


606 


RICHES    OF    THE  KREMLIN. 


many  miles  of  railway  could  be  built  from  the  proceeds  of 
the  mass  of  wealth  inside  the  Kremlin.  Diamonds,  rubies, 
pearls,  crowns,  sceptres,  thrones,  princely  and  priestly  robes, 
are  gathered  in  such  numbers  that  eye  and  brain  become 
weary  in  their  contemplation.  The  most  interesting  of  these 
treasures  are  those  around  which  cling  historic  associations. 
The  crowns  of  the  kingdoms  of  Kazan  and  Astrachan  point 
to  the  overthrow  of  Tartar  power  in  Europe,  while  the  throne 
of  Poland  symbolizes  the  westward  course  of  the  Muscovite 
star  of  empire.  There  are  flags  borne  or  captured  in  Rus- 
sia's victories,  from  the  storming  of  Kazan  and  the  defence 
of  Albazin  down  to  the  suppression  of  Polish  revolt.  Mute 
and  dumb  witnesses  of  the  misfortunes  of  the  Grand  Armee 
are  the  long  rows  of  cannon  that  lie  near  the  Kremlin  palace. 
Three  hundred  and  sixty-five  French  guns  tell  of  Napoleon's 
disastrous  march  to  Moscow. 

The  holiest  part  of  holy  Moscow  is  within  the  Kremlin. 
In  the  church  of  the  Assumption  the  czars  of  Russia,  from 
John  the  Terrible  down  to  the  present  day,  have  been  crowned. 
In  the  Michael  church,  until  the  accession  of  Peter  the  Great, 
the  Rurik  and  Romanoff  dynasties  were  buried ;  while  another 
church  witnessed  their  baptism  and  marriage.  What  a  won- 
derful amount  of  gold  and  jewels  are  visible  in  the  churches 
and  chapels  of  the  Kremlin  !  The  floor  of  one  is  of  jasper 
and  agate ;  pearl  and  amethyst  and  onyx  adorn  the  inner 
walls  of  another.  One  has  vast  pillars  of  porphyry,  and  the 
domes  and  turrets  of  all  are  liberally  spread  or  starred  with 
gold.  The  pictures  of  the  infant  Saviour  and  his  mother  are 
hung  with  necklaces  of  jewels,  each  of  them  almost  a  fortune. 
One  might  easily  think  that  the  wealth  of  Ormuz  or  of  Ind 
had  been  gathered  to  adorn  the  shrines  of  the  most  oriental 
Christian  faith. 

I  visted  the  Imperial  Theatre,  which  the  Muscovites  pro- 
nounce the  finest  in  the  world.  To  my  mind  it  is  only  equal- 
ed by  La  Scala  at  Milan,  or  San  Carlo  at  Naples.  Outside 
it  reminded  me  of  our  ci-devant  Academy  of  Music.  Inside 
it  was  gorgeous,  well  arranged,  and  spacious. 


IMPERIAL    THEATRE    &    FOUNDLING    HOSPITAL.  607  - 

The  Kitai  G-orod,  or  Chinese  town  of  Moscow,  is  close  by 
the  Kremlin  and  outside  its  walls.  The  only  feature  worthy 
the  name  of  this  part  of  the  city  is  the  number  of  Tartar  in- 
habitants and  the  immense  bazaar,  or  Gastinni  Dvor,  where 
the  principal  trade  of  Moscow  has  been  centered  for  nearly 
three  hundred  years.  The  quantity  of  goods  in  the  bazaar 
is  something  enormous.  A  Russian  said  to  me :  "  If  half 
the  houses  in  Moscow  were  stripped  of  furniture,  ornaments, 
and  all  things  save  the  walls  and  roofs ;  if  their  inhabitants 
were  plundered  of  all  clothing  and  personal  goods  except 
their  bank  accounts, — the  gastinni  dvor  could  supply  every 
deficiency  within  two  hours.  You  may  enter  the  bazaar 
wearing  nothing  but  your  shirt,  and  can  depart  in  an  hour 
dressed  and  decorated  in  any  manner  you  choose,  and  riding 
in  your  carriage  with  driver  and  footman  in  livery." 

The  railway  between  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  is  a  gov- 
ernment affair,  and  forms  nearly  a  direct  line  from  one  city 
to  the  other.  It  is  said  that  the  emperor  Nicholas  placed  a 
ruler  on  the  map  and  drew  a  line  from  one  capital  to  the 
other  to  mark  the  route  the  engineers  must  follow.  Notwith- 
standing the  favorable  character  of  the  country  the  cost  of 
the  road  was  enormous,  in  consequence  of  alleged  pecula- 
tions. There  is  a  story  that  the  government  once  wished  to 
make  a  great  impression  upon  a  Persian  embassy.  All  the 
marvels  of  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  were  exhausted,  but 
the  oriental  embassadors  remained  serene  and  unmoved. 

"  What  shall  we  do  to  surprise  them,"  the  emperor  de- 
manded of  his  prime  minister. 

"  Nothing  is  better,  sire,"  replied  that  official,  "  than  to 
tell  them  the  cost  of  the  Imperial  railway." 

One  hears  more  about  stealing  and  bribe  taking  in  Russia 
than  in  any  other  country  I  ever  visited.  The  evil  is  partly 
on  account  of  low  salaries  and  great  expense  of  living,  and 
partly  due  to  ancient  custom.  The  emperor  has  endeavored 
to  establish  a  reform  in  this  particular,  but  the  difficulties  are 
very  great  because  of  the  secret  character  of  "  palm-greas- 


608 


A    STRANGE  ENCOUNTER. 


ing."  It  is  related  that  a  German  savant  once  remarked  to 
Nicholas  that  he  could  do  Russia  a  great  service  by  breaking 
up  the  system  of  financial  corruption.  "  To  get  such  a  pro- 
ject in  action,"  replied  the  emperor,  "  I  must  begin  by  brib- 
ing my  prime  minister. " 

Of  the  country  between  the  capitals  I  saw  very  little.  In 
the  cars  the  double  windows,  covered  with  frost,  were  about 
as  transparent  as  a  drop  curtain.  We  stopped  at  a  great 
many  capacious  and  well  built  stations,  where  there  was 
abundant  opportunity  for  feeding  and  drinking.  The  journey 
commenced  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  finished  at  ten 
on  the  following  morning.  The  distance,  according  to  offi- 
cial measurement,  is  four  hundred  and  three  miles. 

The  train  halted  at  the  station  nearest  St.  Petersburg,  and 
as  we  stood  a  moment  upon  the  platform,  we  saw  the  great, 
gilded  dome  of  St.  Isaac's  cathedral  rising  over  the  city.  In 
St.  Petersburg  my  first  duty  was  to  take  breakfast,  a  bath, 
and  a  change  of  clothes  at  a  hotel,  and  then  to  drive  to  the 
banker's  for  letters  from  home.  I  had  not  seen  an  American 
for  five  months  ;  as  I  alighted  from  my  droshky,  a  well-dress- 
ed individual  looked  at  me,  and  not  to  be  outdone  I  returned 
his  glance.  Our  eyes  peered  over  two  fur  collars  that  ex- 
posed very  little  of  our  faces.  After  a  moment's  hesitation 
each  of  us  spoke  the  other's  name,  and  I  experienced  the 
double  pleasure  of  meeting  in  one  individual  a  countryman 
and  an  old  friend. 


THE  END. 


MAP 
to  ccccompan  \  * 
THO?  W.KNOX'S 
"Overland  through  Asia 

iutliors  Route  ntaih'd  (Aits.. ..... 


bcaU  WGMiUs  I  1  ''  1  1  '  I  ■  ■  » 


7 


